At 6:00 am this morning, the Burger King at the corner of West Cesar Chavez Avenue and Grand Avenue opened its doors to raise funds for the LAPD Family once again. 100% of today’s proceeds will go directly to the family of Officer Randy Simmons, who tragically lost his life in the line of duty in the early hours of Thursday, February 7, 2008, when he and his SWAT team members responded to a call of an armed suspect barricaded inside a residence.
Burger King staff are hard at work taking orders from police officers from surrounding law enforcement agencies, City employees, and community members who been continually arriving throughout the day showing their financial and emotional support.
Television and radio morning shows continued their passionate coverage on the tragic death of Officer
Randy Simmons by enthusiastically announcing today’s fundraiser on their newscasts.
This fundraiser is made possible by the Cimm’s Inc. that is owned by Laurence and Ralph Cimmarusti, brothers who have a long history of supporting and fundraising for the LAPD.
They have a personal connection with the law enforcement community, as their brother in-law is retired after 40 years of service as an LAPD officer. Cimm’s Inc. owns and operates more than 50 Burger King restaurants in California and Texas and has been a franchisee of Burger King Corporation for more than 30 years.
Two years ago Laurence and Ralph Cimmarusti held this same fundraiser for Officer Landon Dorris, Northeast Area, who was killed in the line of duty when he was struck by a vehicle while investigating a minor traffic collision.
I came from the west side and waited in line for an hour and forty-five minutes. It was touching to see so many other people doing the same. This was the first time in over five years that I have been in a Burger King but I will make sure to stop by that particular location whenever I am in the area.
Posted by: Sg | February 14, 2008 at 10:30 AM
I stopped by after work and did not mind waiting in line. The atmosphere was one of hope and love. It was inspiring to see people of all types (cops, non-cops, moms, dads, kids, etc.) coming together for a common purpose. It was a tribute to Officer Simmons's legacy.
Posted by: Mary | February 15, 2008 at 03:32 PM
Great testimony to the public rallying around a true public servant. We've posted an article on Randy Simmons at biblical thought.
Posted by: Mario Herrera | February 15, 2008 at 07:20 PM