Region shows how to come together in the face of tragedy
Donations to support family of fallen officer pour in
The Algona community – and the wider north central Iowa region – were hit with a stunning tragedy on Sept. 13.
The response of that community was equally stunning in a positive, uplifting way.
The tragedy, of course, was the line of duty death of Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram, who was shot to death by a suspect he was trying to arrest on a warrant for harassment.
A sudden, violent death of a young man is a shock anytime it happens. The fact that the young man was a police officer protecting the rest of us from the worst among us makes it even worse.
Everyone struggles to know what to say and what to do when confronted with such a tragedy.
But members of the community quickly figured out how they wanted to support the Cram family. And the community that came together included far more that the 5,700 or so people the U.S. Census lists as Algona residents. All of north central Iowa teamed up to raise some money to help Officer Cram’s widow and three children.
Cram was killed in the middle of high school football season. As a result, indivduals and businesses began pledging donations for every touchdown their hometown team scored. Some of those pledges were pretty hefty. The local football teams responded with multiple touchdown games that all but shorted out the scoreboards.
Other donations poured in to the Officer Kevin Cram Memorial Fund as well. Those donations were not linked to touchdowns, but rooted in the grief and humanity of the donors.
About $38,000 has been raised by the Fort Dodge and Webster County community already.
The memorial fund is being managed by Iowa State Bank in Algona. Officials there say they cannot reveal how much money has been raised. With Fort Dodge and Webster County alone raising $38,000, we think the total must be in well into the six figure range.
Regardless of what the total turns out to be, it says something good about the people of our corner of the world who come together in the face of tragedy.
It also shines a glimmer of light into what must seem like endless darkness for the Cram family.