The New York Daily News Presents $700,000 To The Families Of Slain NYPD Officers

NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, February 12, 2015, the New York Daily News will present $700,000  – the amount raised in the newspaper's Ramos-Liu Fund - to the families of the two NYPD officers assassinated while sitting in their patrol cars. The families of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu will each receive $350,000 during the ceremony at the New York Daily News' offices in lower Manhattan.

New York's Hometown Newspaper launched the fund Dec. 22, 2014, with a $10,000 donation to each family and asked its readers to join in just two days after the officers were killed in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The results were overwhelming.

The drive tugged at the heart of every donor, from elected officials to corporate and sports giants and celebrities to everyday New Yorkers who shared the pain of the Ramos and Liu families. The envelopes poured in from across the country and from around the world and often contained heartfelt condolences.

"The fund touched so many hearts. We received donations as small as $2 and quite a few of $10,000," said New York Daily News Chairman and Publisher Mortimer B. Zuckerman. "But the sentiment from every donation was the same: Thank your for you unselfish sacrifice and courage. No amount of money can ever replace the love of what both families have lost."

The list of donors included Oscar-winner Robert De Niro, "CBS This Morning" co-anchor Gayle King, Modell's Sporting Goods, the Brooklyn Nets and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

"The city is missing two dedicated outstanding officers and they will never be forgotten," King wrote in a letter to the grieving loved ones that accompanied her $5,000 contribution.

"It's not only our brave policemen and women who sacrifice for us, it's also their families," De Niro told The News at the time. "They've done their duty, and now it's time to do ours." In all, more than 1,000 caring contributors kicked in to generate a total of $700,000 to help the relatives of Liu and Ramos who are still struggling in the aftermath of  the shocking murders. Every penny raised is going to the officers' families.

The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York, chaired by the city's First Lady Chirlane McCray, raised a total of $275,000 and pitched in $200,000 to the Daily News fund.

"Every day, in ways big and small, our city's first responders put the safety and well-being of their neighbors above their own," McCray said. "I am proud of the role the Mayor's Fund has played in this effort." She will be accompanied by NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton for the presentation ceremony.

"The NYPD thanks the Daily News for taking the lead in this generous campaign to assist the families of Detectives Ramos and Liu," said Commissioner Bratton. "The outpouring of support honoring these two heroes is something in which their entire NYPD family takes extreme pride."

Many small businesses also made major contributions. Richard Kourbage, president of Kingsway Exterminating Company in Marine Park, donated $5,000. "I just wanted to do something as a little bit of help to the families because of all the suffering and pain they are going through," he said. "I wish I could do more." 

Other bigger firms dug deep to help. The Brooklyn Nets, the Municipal Credit Union and Associated Foods gave $10,000 and Modell's Sporting Goods pitched in $2,500. "The Brooklyn Nets organization is privileged to join with the New York Daily News in honoring the legacy of these two here NYPD officers," said Nets GM Billy King.

Officer Ramos, 40, leaves behind a wife and two sons. Liu, 32, is survived by a wife of just three months and a family who depended on him for financial support. They were promoted to detectives posthumously.

Details for the check presentation:

WHAT: New York Daily News presents $700,000 to the families of the slain NYPD officers
WHEN: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, February, 12, 2015.
WHERE: New York Daily News office, 4 New York Plaza, N.Y., N.Y.

About the New York Daily News
With 2 million readers in New York, and 42 million national unique visitors online each month, the Daily News is the most widely read tabloid in the city and one of America's fastest-growing web sites. Covering breaking news, politics, sports, entertainment, celebrity, lifestyle, opinion, business and health, the New York Daily News delivers up-to-the-minute reporting, rich photography and compelling video to readers of its print newspaper, industry-leading website, tablet apps, and iPhone, Blackberry and Android e-editions.

The New York Daily News has won 10 Pulitzer Prize Awards for excellence in journalism. In 2013, it was awarded four New York State Associated Press Association awards and took the Associated Press Sports Editors awards' "Triple Crown" as well as first place in the Investigative category across all circulation categories. In addition to its news operations, the New York Daily News runs Daily News Digital Solutions Digital Solutions, a networked provider of digital services for SMBs, and the Innovation Lab, an initiative aimed at engaging with the thriving New York startup community.  The Daily News Innovation Lab hosts a fully integrated startup development program to boost media-focused digital companies and sponsors a "Conversations" event series, facilitating discussion on the changing new media landscape. 

SOURCE New York Daily News

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