The Westboro Baptist Church is trying to spread its vile message of intolerance with a disgraceful protest of Robin Williams' funeral, but Planting Peace is not letting the hate take root.
Williams was found dead in his Tiburon, California, home on Monday. His funeral is set to be a "very private" ceremony in San Francisco near his home. In spite of the actor's family's request for privacy and respect, WBC announced plans to picket Williams' funeral on Aug. 11 after labeling him a "Fag Pimp."
Planting Peace, a nonprofit organization founded in 2004 with a mission to spread love and equality around the globe, is set on challenging WBC's planned protest with a fundraiser. (The group also owns the Equality House, which is situated directly adjacent to the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas.)
"Robin Williams played many different roles in so many people’s lives, and giving back to others was at the top of that list," Aaron Jackson, co-founder of Planting Peace told The Huffington Post in an email Friday. "His appeal crossed generational boundaries. I was personally impacted when I heard of his passing. This is a small gesture to honor his legacy and the difference he made to so many."
"When the WBC announced they were protesting Robin’s funeral, we felt like launching a fundraiser for a charity Robin loved would be the perfect way to honor him and counteract the message of hate and intolerance that the WBC continues to convey," Jackson said.
The proceeds from the fundraiser will go to St. Jude Children's Hospital, an organization close to the late actor's heart. So far, Planting Peace has raised more than $1,000 of a $30,000 goal via a Crowd Rise initiative.
Click the donation widget belowto donate to Planting Peace's "Remember Robin: A Fundraiser for St. Jude."
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