NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) - Officials in Newtown, Conn., are asking people
to stop sending gifts to the grief-stricken community following the
deadly school shooting, saying they're deeply grateful but can't handle
the donation deluge.
The town's first selectman, police chief and
schools superintendent made the request Wednesday through an editor at
The Newtown Bee newspaper.
They say since a gunman killed 20 first-graders and
six educators Dec. 14, gifts from school supplies to artwork have
arrived in such numbers they've overwhelmed the small community's
ability to process them.
The officials are asking people to temporarily stop
sending gifts. They say once they process the "warehouses full of
items," they'll detail the best ways to help.
Meanwhile, the United Way of Western Connecticut
announced Wednesday that a fund established after the shooting to
support Newtown has grown to $3.5 million.
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