Carwash raises funds for children's funerals

[The Straight Story]

Carwash raises funds for children's funerals

When Man Le stood in the parking lot of the Kragen Auto Parts store on Chester Avenue Thursday morning and surveyed the couple of dozen strangers who had volunteered to wash cars to help bury his young son, he was amazed.

"Wow. We have one of the best communities here in Bakersfield," Le said before removing his red, button-down shirt, leaving only a grey undershirt, and joining in the work.

Andrew Cole Le, 7, was killed when a military round thought to be disabled exploded as a group of children were playing with it Tuesday afternoon on Maple Avenue. Neighbor Jeni Marie Klawitter, 7, was also killed in the blast, and five other children were injured.

By Thursday, community members, many residents of local recovery homes, had come out to raise money for both children's funeral expenses.

"We don't do the best carwash. It's just the meaning behind it," said Mickey Sturdivant, president of Mothers Against Senseless Killings, which organized the carwash.

http://www.bakersfield.com/619/story/71038.html

Damned shame when you have to raise money because it costs so much to bury your kids. Thankfully many have stepped up and helped out, and I know funeral homes which do work with people really well.

edited to add, follow up to this story:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2019583

[ComerPerro]

1. I know the gun nuts are gonna be pissed, but I just have to ask

why, exactly, were they playing with a discarded military round?

And what was it, exactly?

[MADem]

4. See the thread linked in the original post, it answers all NT

[The Straight Story]

6. I added a link to my original post with more details

Sad thing all the way around. The guy who owned the round thought it was dead, and he was partially right.

I used to have a 20mm lahti round on my desk we tossed about for fun, but then we were a reloading company and it was a dead round. Of course, we had gun powder in the next room and we smoked all day and shot off blanks in the office...ahhh, the jobs of my youth...

[ComerPerro]

9. What I fail to understand is, why were children playing with it?

[William769]

2. Buried my stepson in 2003

Thankfully we had the good sense to buy him life insurance when he was a baby. Cost of the Funeral was at about 28 grand.

[The Straight Story]

3. Jousting Jesuses in July - why was it that much??

Cost more to die than to live it seems.

[William769]

5. The casket itself was 10 grand

But we did go with a top on the line model. He was Killed in GA, We had him shipped to Florida for Viewing then back to GA for viewing then the Funeral. Flowers were outrageous!

[The Straight Story]

7. We cremated mom, she hangs out in the basement near the computer

Dad has his name on the urn for when he goes, it has a compartment for him. Kinda creepy if you ask me seeing your name every day like that and knowing you will fit into a tiny box...

[William769]

8. Phillip my stepsons father (my partner)

Died in February of this year. He wanted to be cremated & I honored his wish. He sits on the fireplace mantle. I have put in my will I want his urn to be put in my casket.

[Warpy]

10. I moved my parents into the back bedroom

They'd spent six months in the kitchen.

I can't sprinkle 'em until my eyes get better and I can make the long drive.

I'll have the same arrangements, but they can put me into the landfill. I don't care what happens to this Judas of a body when I'm free of it.0