ELWOOD, Ind. — The McDonald's in Elwood raised more than $13,000 Wednesday to help support the family of Elwood Police Officer Noah Shahnavaz.
The restaurant donated half of its sales between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10 to the Indiana Fallen Heroes Foundation, a nonprofit based in Noblesville. The sum of that donation totaled more than $6,500 at the end of the day.
In addition to the proceeds from restaurant sales, the community donated about $1,500 at a drive-thru "fishbowl" from First Merchants Bank, $5,000 from the Indiana Pacers and another $500 from Reggie and Tracey Jones, the owners/operators of the McDonald's.
"Officer Shahnavaz was simply doing his job, protecting his community, when a senseless act of violence robbed him of the life and career he deserved," Reggie Jones said. "The Shahnavaz family is hurting. The Elwood community is hurting. We hope that this small act can help support them during this time."
Wednesday's total came to $13,467.69 raised for the foundation in Shahnavaz's memory.
RELATED: 'He will be missed more than words can express': Fallen Elwood Officer Noah Shahnavaz laid to rest
Donations can also be made at the McDonald's restaurant in Elwood on Thursday, as well as at First Merchants Bank branches or IndianaFallen.org.
All of the donations the nonprofit receives go directly to surviving family members of Indiana police officers who have been killed in the line of duty.
In another fundraiser, Indiana Bourbon announced that it sold out of special bottle and decanter tags honoring Shahnavaz, but is still working on other opportunities to raise money for the officer's family.
That includes preorders for bottles of bourbon from "Noah's Barrel," which has been dedicated to Shahnavaz. Bottles are $125 each, which the company says will go directly to the officer's family.
Shahnavaz, 24, was shot during a traffic stop the morning of July 31 and died after being taken to an Indianapolis hospital. He graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in April, had served the community for 11 months and served in the Army for five years prior to becoming an officer.
What other people are reading:
- Indiana's abortion ban exceptions come with a catch
- Gas in Indiana now averaging below $4 per gallon
- Construction zone crashes plaguing stretch of I-65 in Boone County
- 'I just wish I had your hair': Woody Harrelson responds after baby lookalike goes viral
- Eli Lilly condemns new Indiana abortion ban, looks to expand outside the state