$2 million Boston victims: More than $2 million has been raised for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing through online crowdfunding over the past week.
NBC News reported that more than 23,000 pledges on crowdfunding websites have raised money for a number of medical tragedies related to the bombing.
Celeste and Sydney Corcoran of Lowell, Mass., got more than $500,000 after they were injured as they stood at the marathon finish line. The Celeste & Sydney Recovery Fund website says that it has a $750,000 goal.
Celeste lost both her legs below the knees and Sydney “suffered severe injuries,” it said.
“People get angry. They want to get involved. They want to help,” said Brad Damphousse, head of GoFundMe, a crowdfunding website hosting their campaign, according to CNN Money.
“Crowdfunding is actually really empowering for donors. It’s a way of being part of the solution instead of smoldering about the problem,” he said.
Boston newlyweds Jessica Kensky Downes and Patrick Downes, who each lost a leg in the blast, got around $560,000.
“We felt so helpless. I thought, we can’t all send flowers. I couldn’t sleep all night. I got up the next morning and started a Wells Fargo account and then got the word: You need to do something online,” Leslie Kelly, a friend of Downes, told the broadcaster.
Allan Bachman, a manager with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, told NBC that donors should be vigilant of any fraud.
“You want to make sure that the money you donate goes to the intended party,” he said.
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