Michael Todd
Online News Editor
Mira Costa English teacher Shawn Chen organized a donation of sick days for Costa instructional assistant Christopher Willemse, who was present at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on Oct. 1, at which the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history occurred.
Willemse’s fiancé, Manhattan Beach Middle School special-education teacher Sandy Casey, was fatally shot at the festival when a gunman opened fire on the crowd. Chen has worked closely with other members of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District to donate their sick days to Willemse and allow him to take time off of work.
“We are trying to get donations from staff for sick days,” Chen said. “[The main goal is] so [Willemse] can get more time off because he doesn’t have enough sick days to stay out for an extended period of time.”
The staff at Costa is trying their best to support him in any way possible and everyone has taken on an important role in coming together to help him, Chen said.
“Schools really are a place where people are able to come together,” Chen said. “This is both his school and his workplace. Traditionally, a workplace would be what you would rely on, which is what we are trying to accomplish.”
According to Chen, MBUSD hosted a lunch for staff yesterday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. at MBMS, in order to commemorate everyone who worked with Casey and her fiancé. The staff is looking to support him in any way possible, whether that is sitting down and having a conversation or donating workdays, Chen said.
“We want to make sure that all the groups that can support him are supporting him,” Chen said. “We are all just trying to band together and get as much support as we can.”
A GoFundMe page dedicated on behalf of Willemse had an original goal of raising $600, but has since raised over $2,275. A friend of Willemse and Casey’s, Mike Hernandez (not of MCHS), created the GoFundMe to help Willemse cover costs as well as be there for him in any way in which he is able or he can.
“With the death of anyone close to you, it is very hard to cope,” science teacher James Locke said. “It would be very hard to be at work and have to manage the details that come along with that tragedy.”
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