GoFundMe set up to help George Floyd’s family cover funeral costs surpasses $740,000

A GoFundMe launched on Wednesday to help the family of George Floyd, the Minneapolis, Minn., man who died during a police arrest on Monday, has raised more than $740,000 in less than 24 hours to cover funeral and assist the family.

{mosads}According to fundraiser page, the GoFundMe was set up by Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd. On the page, Philonise Floyd wrote that the fund was “established to cover funeral and burial expenses and to assist my family in the days to come as we continue to seek justice for George.” 

“On May 25, 2020, my life shattered as I learned of the tragic passing of my dear brother, George,” the page reads. “My family and I watched in absolute horror as the now infamous and horrifying video began to spread quickly throughout social media.”

“What we saw on that tape left us shell shocked; a white Minneapolis police officer kneeling directly on my brother’s neck, obstructing his ability to breathe,” he added. 

George Floyd died during a police arrest in Minneapolis on Monday.

During the arrest, Floyd, an unarmed black man, could be seen in now-viral footage being pinned to the ground as an officer knelt on his neck. Emergency Medical Services reported after his death that there were no signs of life when first responders arrived at the scene. The workers tried to revive Floyd, but to no avail.

Floyd, who was 46, was pronounced dead 90 minutes after the arrest. 

As of Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe set up by his brother, Philonise Floyd, has drawn more than 32,000 donors.

The link for the page has also picked up traction on Twitter, with some figures like Lin-Manuel Miranda urging their followers to donate.

Some organizations to which you can donate if you are heartsick waking up to the news:

Minnesota Freedom Fund:https://t.co/H1FIfpe0vd

Minnesota ACLU:https://t.co/CIiE1w2tlp

George Floyd’s family gofundme:https://t.co/XWw0iGr6qZ

❤️❤️❤️#JusticeForFloyd

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 28, 2020

Philonise Floyd said on fundraiser’s page that all of the money collected “will be withdrawn to an established account for the benefit of my family. 100% of funds collected here will go to my family.”

The GoFundMe also links to another fundraiser on the site created by his sister, Bridgett Floyd. That page has raised more than $16,000 so far.