SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
R&D listeners donate over $8,000 to bury 9-year-old crash victim
Mar 21, 2013, 3:15 PM | Updated: Mar 22, 2013, 3:06 pm
Donovan Best, 9, was taken off life support Sunday after a crash on State Route 16 in Pierce County where he was ejected from the car. (Photo courtesy KING 5)
(Photo courtesy KING 5)
Update: Ron and Don Show listeners had donated $8,363 via Paypal to pay for a proper burial for 9-year-old Donovan Best. Listen to the Ron & Don Show Friday afternoon for an update on the fundraising effort.
“Donovan was a very go-getting little kid. He was an exceptional young boy. He was in Karate. He was active in sports. We would have family gatherings and play badminton, and you were lucky to have him on your team.”
Donovan Best’s great uncle, Dale Lewandowski, gets emotional when he talks about the little boy. “He touched everybody he knew.”
Donovan, 9, was taken off life support Sunday after a crash on State Route 16 in Pierce County where he was ejected from the car. Donovan’s 8-year-old sister was also in the vehicle and crawled out of the wreckage to flag down help. She was unharmed.
The memorial for Donovan Best is planned for this Sunday, at 1:00 PM in the Garden Chapel of Mountain View Funeral Home in Lakewood.
However, The Ron and Don Show has learned that the family is struggling financially to pay for the burial of their son. On Thursday, Don announced a fundraiser to cover the costs for Donovan’s memorial and remove this extra burden during the family’s time of grief.
If you would like to help, please donate to Crimestoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County via their PayPal page. Hit the “Donate” button in the upper-right hand of the page.
You can also mail checks to Crimestoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County 6824 19th St. W. #139 in University Place, WA 98466
“The money will go to Crimestoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County, who will get this directly to Mountain View Funeral Home,” Don pointed out.
The funeral costs for Donovan are as follows:
Burial Plot: $1576
Pastor $300
Casket $1061
Flowers $500
Clothes for burial $60
Obituary $416
Vault (to fit a smaller child-sized casket) $1006
Sunday Cemetery $500
Funeral Director $300
TOTAL $5,720
Don said, “A parent should never have to bury a child. I never want to have to bury (my son). It’s hard to put into words the way that we feel about this.”
“He had a lot of potential. It’s just sad that was all taken away,” Dale said.
