The support for a Peabody police officer who passed away last month has been show through fundraisers, T-shirt sales and more.
A GoFundMe, organized by Danielle Breckenridge, was for the funeral and memorial of Officer Henry Breckenridge. The officer died last month from complications during a “non-emergency surgery,” according to the Peabody Police Department.
The GoFundMe had a goal of $5,000. It has been surpassed with over $35,000 raised from over 400 donations.
“Henry was loved by so many, nicknamed the Mayor of Peabody,” said Breckenridge on the GoFundMe page. “Everywhere we go someone knew of Henry. He touched so many people and is loved by so many.”
Breckenridge’s funeral services were held Wednesday, July 26, according to Peabody police on Facebook. The department also started selling memorial T-shirts for $25.
In addition, more than $5,000 was raised in honor of Breckenridge when patrons packed Stanzy’s Country Ranch in Peabody for a “Meetup & Fundraiser” Sunday afternoon, the restaurant said in a Facebook post.
The funds from the event went directly toward the Henry Breckenridge Memorial Scholarship, which is being organized by the East Stroudsburg University (ESU) Foundation.
On a GoFundMe page, the foundation said they are trying to raise at least $12,500 for the scholarship. They also plan on matching that amount, bringing the total value to $25,000.
The scholarship will go toward helping a future member of the ESU Warriors, for whom Breckenridge played football from 2001 to 2005, the foundation said on the GoFundMe page.
“He ended up starting at Linebacker as a freshman during the season and was a Special Team,” the campaign reads. “With Henry passing suddenly we wanted to start a scholarship in his name to celebrate him and help future generations.”
People interested in donating to that GoFundMe can click here.
The event at Stanzy’s also featured a silent auction with items including sports memorabilia, gift cards and select spirts going up for grabs. A portion of all sales from the auction were directly donated to the scholarship fund as well.
“We want to express our deep gratitude for the community who rallied to support us in our time of great need and grief,” Peabody Police Chief Tom Griffin wrote on Facebook.
“The list of organizations, businesses, and community members who expressed condolences, fed us, donated resources, paid respects with messages, flowers, cards, candles, memorial gifts, etc…seems endless,” he said. “Losing Officer Breckenridge was a shock to everyone, and we will be feeling the effects of his passing for a very long time. We need to continue to stand together and support each other through this.”
Stanzy’s said they hope to host more meetup events in the future to keep the Mayor’s “legacy long lasting.”
