News Summary
In a remarkable outpouring of support, the Kansas City community has raised over $380,000 for the family of firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman, who tragically lost his life on duty. The T-shirt fundraiser, spearheaded by local entrepreneurs, exceeded expectations by generating over $100,000 in just 24 hours. With sales of more than 36,000 shirts, this initiative not only provided crucial financial assistance but also demonstrated the solidarity of a grieving community. Organizers have faced challenges in managing high demand, yet the response emphasizes the heartwarming support for a fallen hero.
Kansas City has witnessed an overwhelming outpouring of community support following a devastating tragedy involving firefighter-paramedic Graham Hoffman. A recent T-shirt fundraiser, initiated by local entrepreneurs Dawn and Joe Eddings of e2 Embroidery & Screenprinting, has successfully raised more than $380,000 for Hoffman’s family. The initiative was launched after Hoffman was fatally stabbed while on duty, serving his community.
The T-shirt campaign commenced late last month with designs made available on a dedicated website. Initial expectations were modest, with organizers anticipating between $5,000 to $10,000, a figure based on their experiences with previous fundraisers for first responders. However, the community’s response exceeded all expectations. Within the first hour, donations had surged to $17,000. The pace continued to escalate, with contributions exceeding $100,000 in just 24 hours.
By the conclusion of the fundraiser, a staggering total of $381,500 was raised, alongside sales of more than 36,000 T-shirts. Orders flowed in from all 50 states and 14 countries, with over 32,000 individual addresses set to receive shirts. Every dollar raised from the sale of these shirts was directed to the family of Graham Hoffman, ensuring financial support at this difficult time.
Graham Hoffman, aged 29, tragically lost his life on April 27 while attempting to assist a patient in an ambulance. The individual accused of this fatal act has been identified as Shanetta Bossell and faces a first-degree murder charge. This incident has not only affected Hoffman’s family and colleagues but has also resonated deeply throughout the broader Kansas City community.
The significant success of the T-shirt fundraiser inadvertently attracted attention from fraudsters, who began creating scams on platforms such as Amazon and TikTok. This development highlighted the challenges that often accompany such well-intentioned community efforts. In response to the overwhelming volume of orders, hundreds of cases of shirts arrived at the Eddings’ print shop for processing. To manage the logistics of fulfilling tens of thousands of individual orders, the couple enlisted the help of volunteers to assist with the folding and shipping of shirts.
Joe Eddings, a retired firefighter, underscored the importance of supporting Hoffman’s family, drawing upon his own ties to the fire service. The Eddings have a strong history of collaborating with local fire stations for fundraising purposes, including a redesign of the Station 42 shirt to honor Hoffman. The time frame for T-shirt sales was scheduled to close on May 9, with customers being given the option for either in-person pickup or delivery.
In reflecting on the success of the fundraiser, the Eddings expressed heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable community support following the tragic loss of Graham Hoffman. They acknowledged that such a response was a testament to the close-knit nature of the Kansas City community, which has rallied together to honor a fallen hero while also providing essential financial support to his grieving family.
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Additional Resources
- KMBC: KC Firefighter Graham Hoffman T-shirt Fundraiser
- Kansas City Star: Graham Hoffman Fundraiser Details
- KSHB: Kansas City T-Shirt Printer’s Fundraiser
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Firefighters
- KCTV5: Royals Honor Graham Hoffman
- Google Search: Graham Hoffman Kansas City
