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Don Carter Lanes Reopens Following Mass Shooting
No one will ever forget the tragic shooting that took place at Don Carter Lanes in Rockford on December 26, 2020.
No one will ever forget the innocent lives lost on that day or the pure act of evil they experienced in their final moments, but life must go on.
After taking a few weeks to grieve, regroup, and repair the damage, Don Carter Lanes officially reopened to the public on Wednesday with the continued mission to support the shooting victims and their families.
Brad Sommer, General Manager of Don Carter Lanes, told
This bowling community is a strong community and after that tragedy from a couple of weeks ago everybody is coming together. They want to see each other, they want to see their bowling friends, they want to be in their bowling center. It s a second family for many, many people
The shooting is believed to be random, according to Rockford police.
At the evening vigil, music filled the air and people lit candles in remembrance of those who lost their lives. I want you to know that none of the victims that we lost are forgotten, because they live on everyday in each and everyone of our hearts and our thoughts, said Jamie Funk, a manager at the bowling alley.
Jerome Woodfork, who died in the Dec. 26 shooting, was remembered as a fierce competitor and a nice person. My heart really goes out to the group, because they were all friends, said Toscha Flowers, Woodfork s girlfriend. It wasn t just him I lost. I lost other friends, too.
But his latest as a fundraiser was not something he ever anticipated being in his job description.
Sommer, who also serves as the Hononegah High School boys bowling coach, dove head-first into the fundraising game when six people were shot, three of them fatally, at Don Carter on Dec. 26.
âThere is no game plan for anything like this,â Sommer said. âWe are just taking this thing hour-by-hour and doing everything we can to rally behind the families of the victims. We have two really outstanding options for those that are looking to help out.â
On Monday, Sommer started a GoFundMe account entitled âDon Carter Lanes Shooting Victims & Families Ofâ, which will benefit all six families equally. The initial goal was to raise $60,000.