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| Prison inmates raise money for family of slain boy |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 07/26/2004 |
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Moved by the story of his death, inmates at Oregon's state prison have raised nearly $1,000 for the family of a slain 9-year-old boy. Almost 150 men at the Oregon State Correctional Institution in Salem gave donations to the family of Topaz Luna, who was killed last month after being struck by a Salem Public Works truck. "It's a heart-wrenching story," said Pepe Rivas, 34, president of La Raza Unida, the Latino club that initiated the fund-raiser. The name means "The People United." Last week, Rivas and the club's 60 or so members deposited $982 in the family's name at a U.S. Bank branch in Salem. They also sent a letter of condolence to the Luna family. Approximately 149 of the prison's 895 inmates gave money, with individual donations ranging from $2 to $10 - the limit. "It's the first time we felt it was something we knew would be a benefit," said Rivas, who is serving a life sentence for a murder committed when he was 17. According to prison spokesman Levi Bunnell, men at the state prison earn $30 to $70 per month and usually use the money to buy toiletries and other necessities. "In here, when people are willing to give up their money, that's meaningful," Bunnell told The Statesman-Journal in Salem. Earlier this year, La Raza Unida put together 95 Easter baskets to give to needy children who visited the minimum-security prison. Inmates donated $300 for that project. "In the past, we've leached off the public," Rivas said. "Now, we want to give something back." |
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