Families of fallen officers receive support from across nation
The murders of two Palm Springs police officers are hitting close to home and are also getting the attention of people around the country.
“Fundraising efforts have been tremendous,” said the president of the Palm Springs Police Officers’ Association, Officer Joe Cook. “We’ve been getting people from all across the nation making donations.”
One look at the memorial at the Palm Spings Police Department and the amount of support is clear, coming from as close as Indio and as far away as the White House. There is even more going on behind the scenes.
“Huggies has supplied all of the diapers to Officer Zerebny’s family,” Cook told KESQ News Channel 3’s and CBS Local 2’s Katie Widner. “Enfamil has donated all of the formula.”
Cook said the don’t need more donations for those items but they do need canned baby food. He also said that as of Wednesday morning, $100,000 had been raised through the POA donation site.
“The families are going to need it. There’s a lot of expenses involved and we want them to not have bills or anything to be a concern for them for a long time,” Cook added.
Beginning Thursday, the public will be allowed to donate to college funds set up for children of both officers.
Local support is not to be overlooked. In just two hours outside the department on Wednesday afternoon, numerous people stopped by the memorial to drop off flowers and cards. One man was seen hand delivering pizzas for officers.
Nellie Dewey said she drove two and half hours from the San Fernando Valley to deliver hand-sewn blankets for the two youngest girls affected by the tragedy, Officer Lesley Zerebny’s infant and Officer Jose Gilbert “Gil” Vega’s youngest.
“Each one gets a wonderful poem on it talking about how you get tender loving care with the blanket you wrap yourself in,” Dewey explained.
The blankets are a gift from Project Linus, a nonprofit organization that provides homemade blankets to children in need. One-thousand memorial T-shirts were donated by a local printing company. They are selling for $20 cash and can be picked up at the station, and all proceeds will go to the families.
One local business owner stopped by the department to buy 20 shirts, one for each member of his staff.
“Fortunately, we’re in a position to help by making a donation or doing this,” said Jim Camper, holding up the shirts. “I just think it was my civic duty.”
Camper is the owner of Organic Solutions of the Desert, a legal medical marijuana collective. He said despite what his business is, the local police have always served him well.
On Friday, all local media outlets will join forces alongside the POA to collect cash and checks at the Palm Springs City Hall for a fundraiser from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday, Firehouse Subs in Palm Springs and Palm Desert will be donating 30 percent of their proceeds to the department.
