OVERLAND PARK, Kan.- A metro business held a fundraiser Sunday to raise money for the Boston Marathon victims and their families.
The Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant located at 137th and Metcalf in Overland Park planned to donate 10 percent of Sunday’s sales to One Fund Boston, a charity set up by Boston’s mayor.
The reason why this business is getting involved is because employee Jessica Joseph feels a strong connection to the recent tragedy. Her sister’s boyfriend ran the race while her sister waited for him at the finish line. They both left unharmed, but she says it was a close call.
“He finished right after the three hour mark and the first bomb went off at 4:09,” Joseph told FOX 4 News. “Once he finished they both sat by the finish line for a little while. They said they left about 20 minutes before it happened.”
What kept the pair out of harm’s way was an early flight back to Kansas on marathon day.
“They were originally planning to stay in Boston that night and watch the rest of the runners come through,” Joseph said. “It’s such a horrible thing that happend, but I feel so connected to it since my sister and her boyfriend were there, so I wanted to do something.”
Besides raising money through her company, Joseph said the tragedy has motivated her. Her new goal is to qualify for next year’s Boston marathon.
“We are all planning on running it next year,” she said. “We would love to run it and how stong people come back from things like that and how supportive people are.”
Click here to find out how you can donate to One Fund Boston.