A GoFundMe campaign has been launched for the family of Dustin Valencia after his body was recovered from Lake Lanier during the search for the missing father.
The fundraising effort comes after an initial Meal Train page already collected more than $45,000 to support Valencia’s wife and five children.
“The outpouring of love and support for the Valencia family over the past few days has been nothing short of extraordinary,” organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Organizers say they created the new fundraising page because it offers lower fees and more flexibility than the original Meal Train campaign.
The Valencia family’s ordeal began Wednesday when Dustin failed to pick up his children from school. His car was later found at Little Ridge Park on Lake Lanier, with evidence suggesting he may have gone kayaking.
On Thursday, Georgia Department of Natural Resources located his body in the lake.
All funds raised through the GoFundMe will “go directly to the Valencia family to help with daily needs, bills, and long-term care for the kids in the weeks and months ahead,” according to the page.
The campaign has raised over $67,000 so far with a goal of $80,000.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
