Funeral Funds for Anthony Stinson RIP

Update today: This fundraiser is aware of the other GoFundMe set up for Anthony and his family. Anthony's mother will be getting all the donations from this fundraiser. Please donate to https://gofund.me/f4183152 (GoFundMe by Dana Gabler)

As many of you know, Anthony Stinson, only a 13-year-old boy from Suffolk NY, was struck by a police car responding to an emergency while riding his bike on September 9th evening. The collision left Anthony in Stony Brook Children's Hospital, paralyzed and fighting for his life. It is with great sadness to say Anthony has passed away today.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Stephanie, and Anthony happened to be one of my campers just a couple of years back. When I heard the news of a young boy getting hit by a police car, it broke my heart. Following only shortly after, discovering it was actually one of my own youngsters we spent quite a lot of time with (teaching him how to kayak, paddle-board, and a million other activities) left me speechless.

Anthony was bright, eager to learn, competitive, persistently negotiating extra ice pops, and endlessly making us smile. Whether it was surprising us with his big ole St. Bernard he knew we loved so much, or the many, many funny questions and statements about pretty much anything, he was so determined to master something new, and more importantly, he was appreciative, kind, and radiated a unique kind of curiosity and positivity.

Seeing such kind words from others during this awful time emphasizes even more how extraordinary he continued to be to family, friends, and the community. His mother, Claudia, played a huge role in Anthony being the positive addition to our camp that he was. She is truly wonderful, sweet, and as hard-working as hard-working can be. Claudia always had nothing but uplifting, heartfelt, and kind things to say about her son, our camp, other campers, our employees... I can go on. His mother Claudia said recently today that Anthony's organs will be donated, followed by saying, “His legacy will be present on earth as he rises to the heavens. I am totally destroyed.” With that, we're sending all the love in the world to her and the family.

It's clear his light and energy continued to resonate with so many people because that's just how special Anthony's incredible heart was. When we heard the news about Anthony, it was at that point I realized Anthony and his family deserve the utmost unconditional love and support from our community during such a challenging time. This fundraiser will allow Anthony and his family to be taken care of during this time, so they can focus on Anthony without any financial stress or funeral arrangement worry.

In honor of Anthony's football number #30, please consider a $30 donation to show Anthony we're all on his team (though any amount you're able to contribute is appreciated exactly the same) If you aren't able to donate, please share this with your friends and family so we can spread the word for Anthony.

Anthony, may you rest in peace<3