Key Bridge fundraiser donations exceed $850K, deadline extended through August

A fundraiser for survivors and families of victims of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse will continue to accept donations through August, city officials said Friday.

The Key Bridge Emergency Response Fund has raised nearly $860,000 in the two months since a container ship struck the Key Bridge on March 26, sending it into the Patapsco River and killing six construction workers.

More than 5,500 people from around the world have donated, officials said, and the funds will be used to pay for the families’ and survivors’ direct needs, such as food costs and rent.

Some of the biggest donors to the fund include Comcast, Constellation and T. Rowe Price CEO George A. Roche, who each contributed $30,000 or more.

“Donations to the Key Bridge Emergency Response Fund have helped us to support the families during a time of immense change and upheaval,” Catalina Rodriguez Lima, the founding director of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, said in a statement.

Her office organized the Key Bridge Emergency Response Fund shortly after the bridge collapsed. All six of the victims were Latino immigrants, who had come to Baltimore from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras or Mexico.

“Your contributions have opened doors to make sure that the families can prioritize grieving their loved one and remembering their life, in addition to making sure that they are able to connect with family members both in and out of Baltimore City,” Lima said.

The fund was initially scheduled to stop accepting donations on May 31 but will now be open until Aug. 31.

“I have given my word that we will continue to do everything in our power to support the survivors and victims’ families through this unthinkable tragedy,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in a statement. “As Baltimore does time and time again, we are committed to coming together to wrap our arms around our neighbors during their time of need.”