Donations to assist families of mass shooting victims rise to $900,000

Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown on Monday announced New Era Cap is making a $300,000 donation to assist victims and recovery efforts in the wake of the shooting.

Brown was joined by Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas and his wife, Patti Thomas, whose foundation will make a $100,000 donation to the cause. 

"Buffalo is a city of good neighbors, but hate exists everywhere," Patti Thomas said. "We have to come together and let Buffalo be a beacon for how that can happen."

Two Buffalo expats, Brad Termini, founder and CEO of California-based investment firm Zephyr Partners, and Ryan Brandenburger, owner of the CrossCountry Mortgage LLC offices in Buffalo and Boca Raton, Fla., pledged on Sunday, in coordination with the City of Buffalo, $50,000 for the families' funeral expenses.

Developer Douglas Jemal also said Monday that he is committing to either raise or donate at least $100,000 for the families of the victims.

Jemal said he will ask other local businesspeople to join him in the effort to support the families financially. He said it is not intended as a matching grant but represents a minimum commitment that he will fulfill on his own if necessary.

Complete coverage: 10 killed, 3 wounded in mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket

"I’m going to call on the business community that I know, that I deal with on a daily basis," he said. "I haven’t asked anyone for anything. If I don’t get anyone else (to help), I’ll put it up myself."

He said the money is not designated for a particular purpose, such as funeral expenses. It can be used for any need by those families, such as to make up for lost income or even for college scholarships for children or grandchildren.

"If one of the families doesn't need any money, it'll go to the balance of the nine," he said. "I just feel it's something we have to do for those families that have lost someone. The folks that were lost were family members that contributed to a family and a family environment, and they're not coming home anymore."

The developer said he and his team will contact the victims' next of kin directly so that families will not have to apply.

"I intend to meet them and send my condolences to them in person, if they'd like to meet," Jemal said.

Jemal said he was "teary-eyed" and "sick about" what had happened Saturday and that's what prompted his actions.

"We’ve just got to get a message out there that this is no reflection of our city and our community, and the love that we all have for one another," he said. "It’s important that we as a city come out there, morally and financially, to step up to the plate and show what a great city we are."