BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund has released the total number of donations, as well as the number of applicants who will be supported by the funds.
Early Thursday morning the steering committee in charge of the fund announced that $6,452,355.32 has been donated to directly support the survivors and family members of the victims.
In total, 169 applicants were validated by the committee and will begin receiving funds as early as Monday, October 24.
This announcement comes more than 5 months after the mass shooting on May 14, 2022, at the Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue.
In order to determine how to distribute every dollar provided to the fund, the steering committee set policies governing the eligibility and distribution of the funds.
After publishing a draft protocol, the committee received community input during a public town hall back in July, incorporating feedback into the Final Protocol. The committee approved a distribution plan that will pay funds to 169 validated applicants who were traumatized, injured, or are surviving family members of the 10 people killed during the attack.
In total, more than 13,000 donors across Western New York and beyond contributed to the fund.
“We have simply been stewards of these funds committed to honoring the intent of more than 13,000 gracious donors to help those directly impacted by this tragedy,” says Co-Chair Paul Vukelic. “Although these donations could never make the survivors whole, we are hopeful these donations provide the recipients with some comfort knowing that there are many people who wanted to give something to help them in whatever way possible.”