By Amada Caba
Philando Feeds the Children, the memorial fund of Philando Castile has raised over $75,000. The fund was created by college Professor Pamela Fergus. Fergus was prompted to start the fund after watching a police officer fatally shot Castile in front of his daughter and girlfriend in July. The incident gained national attention after it was broadcasted on Facebook live.
Fergus worked with Castile’s mother, Valerie Castile, to get the fund started after researching that over 900 students in St Paul, Minnesota had lunch money debt. “We had a $5,000 goal which I though was bold at the time,” Fergus said. “We raised about $17,000 (£12,900) in one week.”
Philando Castile was a nutritional supervisor for many public schools in St.Paul, Minnesota. He was known for often assisting students who couldn’t afford lunch by using his own money. School lunch costs an average of around $400 a year per student.
“This means the world to me,” said Castile’s mother to Star Tribune. She presented a check to J.J. Montessori, the last school Castile worked at. The fund will pay off lunch money debts for elementary, middle school, and high school students in St. Paul.