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Fallen Officer

Jewish community pitches in to help
family of slain West Bloomfield officer.

Ronelle Grier

I

The
Craig Fahle
Show

Contributing Writer

Bubba Urdan collected $1,000 in 45
minutes for the slain West Bloomfield

officer.

Sonny and Suzy Modiano, owners
of two Yoz Yogurt stores in West

Bloomfield, will hold a fundraiser for

Officer O'Rourke's family on Oct. 3.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

"This is an amazingly diverse and sup-
portive community" said Roman, "and
this is a perfect example of the respect
and support we give each other when
one of our friends is in pain."
The Friendship Circle of Michigan
was instrumental in creating a website to
accommodate donations to a trust fund
established for the officer's family. Rabbi
Levi Shemtov, executive director of the
West Bloomfield organization, which
provides programming for children with
special needs, called local businessman
Jeff Sakwa to see what help the family
needed. When Sakwa told him the trust
fund had no mechanism for online dona-
tions, Shemtov and his staff got to work.
Within hours, www.westbloomfieldhero.
com was up and running.
"We realized the police were grieving,
and that others had to get involved," said
Shemtov. "The West Bloomfield police
have always been there for us, and we
wanted to be there for them."
Sakwa said providing support to the
family was a joint effort by members of a
caring community.
"As Jewish people, that's what we do.
We help our community; we step up in
times of crisis: said Sakwa. "This was a
tragedy we all felt. The miracle was that
everything got done in one day."
Bubba Urdan, West Bloomfield busi-
nessman and politician, was one of sev-
eral participants in a donation campaign

sponsored by FM radio station 95.5. The
idea was conceived by Tom Carballo, bet-
ter known as Mojo, host of the Mojo in the
Morning radio show. On Thursday morn-
ing, Sept. 13, private citizens, radio station
employees and police officers from vari-
ous municipalities gathered contributions
from passing motorists at intersections
throughout Metro Detroit. Urdan, sta-
tioned at the corner of Maple and Orchard
Lake Roads, collected donations in a large
fireman's boot.
"People have been very generous: said
Urdan, who collected more than $1,000
during the first 45 minutes he spent at
the intersection.
Sakwa said approximately $80,000
was donated to the Officer O'Rourke
Family Trust the day of the radio station
campaign, with additional contributions
coming in continuously.
Suzy and Sonny Modiano, owners of two
Yoz Yogurt shops in West Bloomfield, will
be hosting a fundraiser on Wednesday, Oct.
3. During the hours of 3-9 p.m., 100 per-
cent of the profits from both stores will go
to the trust fund for the O'Rourke family.
"When I heard Officer O'Rourke had
a wife and four children, I knew we had
to do something," said Suzy Modiano.
"We've had wonderful service and pro-
fessionalism from the West Bloomfield
police during the 24 years we've been
in business. We have great customers; I
know they'll open their hearts and want
to help:

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To make a donations to the Officer O'Rourke Family Trust, visit
www.westbloomfieldhero.com . Contributions are also being accepted at any
Bank of America branch or at West Bloomfield Town Hall at 4550 Walnut
Lake Road, (248) 451-4800.
Yoz Yogurt is located at 4301 Orchard Lake Road in the Crosswinds
shopping center (248) 865-8341 and at 33360 W.14 Mile in the Simsbury
Plaza (248) 626-9938, www.outstandingcreations.com/yoz.
The fundraiser will take place in both locations on Wednesday, Oct. 3,
from 3-9 pm.

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service of

WAYNE STATE •

UNIVERSITy

September 20 * 2012

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