Memorial fund honoring fallen police officer to help children
The first charitable donation from a memorial fund honoring fallen Utica police Officer Thomas Lindsey will help provide gifts for children this holiday season.
Police officers Thursday presented a $1,500 check to representatives of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
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<td>THE FUND AT A GLANCE </td>
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<td>The Thomas M. Lindsey Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Oneida & Herkimer Counties is worth more than $107,000.</td>
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Friends said Lindsey would be pleased to know the fund will help children.
"Tom is still giving back to the community," said Officer Jim Laurey, a friend of Lindsey's.
Lindsey, a former Marine, was fatally shot in April during a traffic stop.
His memorial fund is now worth more than $107,000, said Elayne Johnson, director of donor services for the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, which administers the fund.
"Its rapid growth is a testament to a community that respects the sacrifices and risks these men in blue make for us every day," Johnson said.
Money was raised from several charity events, including a motorcycle ride and a golf tournament, Utica Police Chief C. Allen Pylman said.
"We're hoping that we're going to grow this to more than $107,000, which means the checks we give out are going to grow," Pylman said.
Lindsey was proud to be a Marine and had a soft spot for children, said his friends and fellow officers, who make decisions on how memorial funds will be administered.
"Even though he was a big tough guy on the outside, on the inside he was a softy," Laurey said.
The advisory group hopes to continue donating funds to youth programs in the area, Officer Gregory Facciolo said.
The $1,500 gift to Toys for Tots will buy hundreds of toys for children, said Mary Howard, a member of the Marine Corp League in Camden. Mary Howard and her husband, John, accepted the check at the Community Foundation.
Observer-Dispatch