Wissink donations flow as healing continues for all
After the tragic events of December 3, 2019, the community tried to cope with an indescribable experience. However, junior John Weigand and his family tried to help everyone bounce back by taking action and creating shirts to support School Resource Officer Mike Wissink. “Honestly, I don’t like being in the spotlight,” Wissink said. “I was nervous about the shirts being something that was directed towards me, but when John told me what the money was going to be used for, I was on board.”
Following the events of December 3, people in the Oshkosh community spent the following days with those important to them. Many people came together and Weigand wanted to continue that feeling of comfort and community. “I felt it was important to show Officer Wissink support from the entire student body,” Weigand said. “I wanted to raise money to help in any way that I could.”
100% of the proceeds went to two charities of Wissink’s choosing. Each charity received $5,354 from the sale of around 700 shirts, raising a grand total of $10,648. “I wanted it to be up to Wissink as to where the money went,” Weigand said. “One was called Team Blueline and the other was the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officers Association Campground.”
Team Blueline is a non-profit organization that donates money to the families of those who gave their life in action. “Team Blueline will use money for three specific families who lost members while on the job,” Assistant Principal Re- becca Montour said. “One I know is a family with a mother and her three children. She had lost her husband in the line of duty.”
On the other hand, WLEOA Campground is a non-profit organization that provides a camping area for law enforcement officers and their families. “I use that campground as a way to relieve stress and relax with my family,” Wissink said. “I know several other officers use that space as well. Team Blueline really helped us through my recovery and so we wanted to help give back to them after everything they gave us.”
According to Wissink, the amount of encouragement and love he received from the community as a whole took him by surprise. “I had unbelievable support received from law enforcement officers,” he said. “I somewhat expected the support from them, but I honestly didn’t expect it from the rest of the community.”
The shirts have helped to continue to bring the student body together and show their support for the non-violence cause. “Something has to happen, not just at our school, but everywhere,” Wissink said. “When I would send my kids to school, I was never worried about this kind of event happening to them. We, as a society, need to fix something.”
In the past month, the students at West have been healing in their own ways. “It feels like, for the most part, everything is back to almost normal,” Montour said . “Everyday people tell me to send good wishes to Wissink, and West is starting to feel more and more normal everyday.”
Montour believes that the student body and the fund raising have profoundly effected everyone. “These shirts represent the community at West, and show support for our school, Wissink, and just standing against violence,” she said.
As Wissink recovers, the student body has been thinking about him constantly and everyone has been respectful towards him, his family, and his privacy. “I just want to say thank you,” Wissink said. “Thank you for the cards, the memes, and all of the wishes and letters. They make me laugh, cry, smile, and help me through my long road to recovery.”
By Sophie Burke
Published January 27th, 2020
Volume 116 Issue 4