Millions in Donations Divided Among Boston Marathon Victims
Starting this weekend, One Fund Boston, the charity established in the wake of the Boston Marathon attacks, will be distributing millions of dollars between some victims who were injured or killed that day. Administrator Kenneth Feinberg announced Saturday that the victims' fund will start dividing the total $60,952,000 raised into cash awards and delivering them as early as Sunday. The charity, started by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Governor Deval Patrick after the bombings, will be giving cash awards to 232 victims. Every person chosen to receive a cash settlement was vetted by the fund's administrators to avoid fraudulent claims.
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The biggest payments -- $2.2 million each -- are going to two double amputees and the families of the four people slain in the marathon bombings and the pursuit of alleged bombers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Fourteen people who lost single limbs will receive $1.2 million. The rest of the fund is divided according to the length of a victims' hospital stay. The CBS Boston affiliate has the best breakdown of how the funds will be distributed:
• Six people who either had family members killed in the blasts, lost multiple limbs or suffered permanent brain damage would each be receiving $2,195,000.
• An additional 14 people who lost limbs would receive $1,195,000.
• Remaining funds were broken down by length of hospital stay. A total of 69 people spent at least one night in the hospital as a result of the bombings. Funds were broken down accordingly: • $948,300 for 32 or more overnights • $735,000 for 24-31 overnights • $580,000 for 16-23 overnights • $480,000 for 8-15 overnights • $275,000 for 3-7 overnights • $125,000 for 1-2 overnights
• The remaining 143 victims were treated on an emergency outpatient basis. Each will receive $8,000.
The charity exceeded their initial expectations by miles. In the very immediate wake of the attack, the different causes raising money for Marathon victims were being grossly surpassed by the Veronica Mars movie. Thankfully America bonded to put that movie shame. But the organizers admitted this money would do little to recoup the real loss suffered from the attacks. "No amount of money can replace what has been lost," Feinberg said in the group's press release. "It was a solemn responsibility to allocate these finite contributions across tremendous pain and suffering, but it was made lighter by the unprecedented generosity of Bostonians, of Americans, and of people around the world."
