STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Don Franklin Auto Group is matching donations dollar for dollar, up to $20,000, to support Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips’ wife and three young sons, according to news partner WNKY. The dealership group has partnered with the Kentucky State Police Foundation through the Operation 369 Memorial Fund.
Phillips was killed in the line of duty Sept. 28. The fundraiser’s name honors his Kentucky State Police badge number, 369, and the campaign’s goal is $36,900.
Alex Patterson, marketing manager for Don Franklin Auto Group, said the family wanted to help the community support Phillips’ family.
“Trooper Phillips left behind his wife and three young boys,” Patterson said. “There’s a lot of support out there for them right now, but there’s more that is needed.”
Patterson said more than $8,000 had been raised, including matching contributions, at the time of an interview Thursday.
Trooper Katan Parker, public affairs officer for Kentucky State Police Post 3 in Bowling Green, said Phillips’ death was a loss for the agency and the troopers who worked alongside him.
“We just have to come together, be there for one another, trying to show his family that they have family in us as well,” Parker said.
Parker said he hopes people remember Phillips not only for his service as a trooper but also for the person he was.
Key Facts:
– Don Franklin is matching donations dollar for dollar, up to $20,000.
– The fund supports Phillips’ wife and three young sons.
– The campaign’s fundraising goal is $36,900.
– More than $8,000, including matching gifts, had been raised as of Thursday.
– The fundraiser runs through Nov. 7.
What’s Next:
Donations can be made online through the Kentucky State Police Foundation by designating the gift for Trooper Hayden Phillips. Donations also can be made in person at any Don Franklin family dealership in Kentucky through Nov. 7.
