'We cannot thank you enough': GoFundMe for family of Halifax Walmart employee hits $190K

A GoFundMe fundraising page for the family of an employee who was found at a Halifax Walmart last weekend has stopped accepting donations after raising nearly $200,000 in about 24 hours.

The Maritime Sikh Association launched the campaign to support the family of 19-year-old Gursimran Kaur, or Simran, as she is known to her family and close friends.

The association hoped to raise $50,000 through the page, and this goal was achieved in just 10 hours. As of 1 p.m. Friday, $194,949 had been raised for the Kaur family — 390 percent of the fundraising goal.

"At this time, as we begin the process of distributing funds to the family, we have decided to stop accepting donations," the Maritime Sikh Association said in an update to the GoFundMe page.

"Your donations will help them in their next steps, and we can't thank you enough for standing by them during this painful time."

The association says the funds will help the family with funeral expenses and costs associated with bringing Kaur's family, particularly her father and brother, from India.

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all those who have donated to support Gursimran Kaur's family during this unimaginable time," the association said in a statement.

"Your kindness and generosity have been a source of strength for the family in the face of this tragedy."

Kaur's mother found her body Halifax Regional Police responded to the Walmart on Mumford Road around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 19.

Police confirmed Tuesday that the woman's body was found inside a large gas oven in the bakery section of the store.

Balbir Singh, secretary of the Maritime Sikh Association, told CTV News that Kaur and her mother moved to Nova Scotia about three years ago, and her mother also worked at the same store on Mumford Road.

Singh says the woman's mother was also working that night and became concerned when she hadn't seen her daughter in over an hour and couldn't reach her by phone.

He began searching the store for his daughter and finally found her in the oven.

"The mother is grieving," Singh told CTV News on Thursday. He is mentally in pain. He definitely needs the help and support of the community and close family members."

"He's still in a very bad state of mind, but yes, he's getting all the counseling. "We are offering psychological counseling and doing our best to provide him with any support possible."

Singh says Walmart contacted Kaur's mother to offer counseling through the company.

The family is asking police to release more details.While police have confirmed that the woman was found inside a large gas stove, no other details about the ongoing investigation, including the manner and cause of death, have been released.

Police have said the investigation is complex, involves multiple partner agencies and is expected to take "considerable time".

Constable Martin Cromwell of Halifax Regional Police said in a statement to CTV News on Friday: "The investigation is ongoing and we have no updates to provide at this time."

Kaur's family says they want Halifax police to provide regular updates on the case to dispel rumors circulating online.

"It affects the family because when you see all these things on social media, most of which are not true, it really affects the family," said Singh, who noted that the family has given permission for the details posted on the GoFundMe page to be released. leave."

"So that's why we're asking the police to provide any updates.

news source