More than $200,00 in total has been raised for Trooper Sean Cullen's family — but his hometown isn't stopping there.
CINNAMINSON TOWNSHIP -- Victor Bilous expected to sell a lot of shirts.
He thought 500, maybe, would sell easily to other law enforcement officers and those closest to N.J. Trooper Sean Cullen, who died in the line of duty two weeks ago. But the Westampton Township police sergeant never imagined he'd be filling out order forms for 3,000 more.
"It just blew up," Bilous said Sunday afternoon as he stood in the Cinnaminson Community Center, where various, overwhelmingly successful fundraising efforts for Cullen's family converged and drew early lines that stretched out the door.
Cullen, a 31-year-old Cinnaminson resident who worked as an officer in Mount Holly and Westampton townships before fulfilling his lifelong dream of being a trooper in 2014, left behind a fiance, 9-month old son, and a large family, including a brother who is also a State Trooper.
Add in the fact Cullen was a star athlete with an outgoing, goofy personality that by all accounts made him unforgettable, and the outpouring of community support for his family isn't that surprising, said Bilous.
"When people hear [Cullen's life story] it breaks their heart," said Bilous. "This hit home for a lot of people."
Hundreds of them streamed in and out of the community center Sunday, when the Westampton FOP Lodge 147 sold nearly 1,000 t-shirts -- much of the production work was donated by Mount Laurel-based company MG Corp. -- and took orders for more than 800 more. Bilous' email is constantly overwhelmed with requests for t-shirts from all over the country, and at $20 each, he estimates with their new order they'll be able to raise a significant amount for Cullen's family.
Huge crowd turns out for trooper's funeral
"It's overwhelming. It's amazing," said Mount Holly Police Officer Cliff Spencer, another former colleague of Cullen's. He said other fundraisers, including a beef and beer, are in the works as well.
"We were expecting a big turnout, but nothing like this," said Spencer. "[Cullen] made a big impact in the police community and here in his hometown. It shows today."
His former colleagues' efforts are compounded by the work of his tight-knit hometown community and residents like Tami Bobrin.
Bobrin didn't know the Cullens, who moved to Cinnaminson from Dublin, Ireland when Cullen was just 3, but when Bobrin heard about his death she didn't hesitate. She bought up all of the blue ribbon she could find at every party store in South Jersey, drove into South Philly to find more, and used it all to launch a fundraising campaign.
By just setting up at a table outside of the local ShopRite throughout the past week and at the community center on Sunday, she and fellow volunteers have raised more than $20,000.
They've sold blue light bulbs for people's porches as well, and Bobrin said both the lights and ribbons aren't just about raising money, they're a way for a mourning community to mark the loss and honor a hometown hero.
"Everyone seems to want to help in some way," said Bobrin, who was joined by fellow resident Mary Norman and Riverton resident Judi Rossi, a long-time teacher at Cinnaminson High School. The group is also selling memorial car decals, created and donated by Pennsauken company Cutoutzz, for $5, with the entire cost going to the family. Between online and in-person sales, they've sold more than 800.
All of Sunday's efforts top off a GoFundMe campaign that has brought in more than $166,000 for Cullen's young family in just 11 days, but one of the biggest pushes from the community to honor Cullen has nothing to do with money.
In the past three days, more than 3,100 people have signed a petition to convince Cullen's alma mater, Cinnaminson High School, to rename its new gymnasium after him.
Rossi said she couldn't think of a more appropriate honor for the 2003 graduate, who set school records for wrestling wins and later returned to serve as a volunteer wrestling coach.
"It would be a permanent marker that this wonderful young man was from this community," she said.
Shirt sales are open right now. Come get yours at the Cinnaminson Community Center. Thank you
Posted by Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey on Sunday, 20 March 2016
Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.