NBA star Kyrie Irving once again extended his generosity by donating $50,000 to a fundraiser set up by the mother of Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old Black boy who in November 2019 was gunned down by an Ohio police officer as he was playing with a toy gun.
Per The Black Wall Street Times, the Tamir Rice Foundation was set up by Rice’s mother, Samaria Rice, to “invest in the growth and enrichment of all children.” To commemorate her deceased son’s 23rd birthday on June 25, she set up the GoFundMe to ask for “23 dollars for 23 years without him.”
“I purchased a building in the city of Cleveland to give back to our inner city youth with art and cultural developments,” she wrote in the fundraiser. “I have already invested into this beautiful historical building with you all support. The help you all already have given Tamir’s legacy we are for ever appreciative. We now have new team to help us follow this through. I’m almost finished. I will not let my community down or anyone who believe in the vision. Trust me you will see the results.”
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Samaria Rice is seeking $110,000, and over $90,000 had been raised at the time of this report. Irving’s hefty donation also gave the fundraiser a very huge boost by Wednesday, which was Tamir Rice’s birthday.
Kiandria Demone, a viral entrepreneur and web developer, took to social media to urge people to support Tamir Rice’s mother, The Black Wall Street Times reported.
“Tamir Rice’s mother has a GoFundMe to buy a building for the Tamir Rice Foundation, a safe, creative space for Black kids to learn and grow. She’s turning her pain into purpose and pouring back into the community. She is asking that each person donate $23 in honor of his 23rd birthday. Let’s blow this up and double the goal,” Demone shared.
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Demone also shared her excitement about Irving’s donation and how the fundraiser had surpassed its initial goal.
“OMG! When I saw the fundraiser this morning, it was at $1,500 with a goal of $6K. In less than an hour, we got it to $9K just by showing up. Then… Kyrie Irving saw the post. Now she’s raised 10x her goal! I’m so excited for her,” Demone posted.
“I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, but I truly hope that with our support, she’ll be able to fulfill her dream of honoring Tamir’s legacy.”
On November 22, 2014, Tamir Rice, 12, was gunned down by then-Cleveland Police officer Timothy Loehmann while he was playing with a toy gun at a recreation center. Though the Cleveland police department fired Loehmann, he was not indicted by a grand jury.
Tamir Rice’s killing sparked nationwide protests in the United States over police brutality against Black people. His killing and that of other Black people at the hands of law enforcement also spurred the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
READ ALSO: Kyrie Irving makes $45K donation to school in Nigeria and orphanage in Ghana
