Pay It 4ward Colorado

Organization Pays It 4ward To Murder Victim's Son

Written for the Web by CBS4 producer Libby Smith

The idea behind CBS4's Pay it Forward Colorado project is to give $1,000 to a Coloradan (or group of Coloradans) who will use the money to change someone else's life. Below lies CBS4's April 15 report.

DENVER (CBS4) - In Denver on Wednesday, a fundraising event hopes to keep alive the memory of a murder victim and help the family he left behind.

Omar Dia came to Denver from Senegal, Africa, 11 years ago. He left his wife and kids behind in search of a better life. He worked, studied and sent money back to Africa to help his family and his village.

In November of 1997, Dia was waiting for a bus when he was shot and killed in a vicious hate crime. In the decade since that random act of violence, many Coloradans have adopted Dia's African village and his family.

"We see this as an opportunity to continue to say to the village, to the people there, that what happened here, this sort of random, senseless act of violence, isn't who we are; it's not what we're about," said volunteer organizer, Paul Tamburello.

Now an organization called International Medical Relief wants to take the relationship a step farther. The group is organizing a fundraiser to bring Omar Dia's son, Amadou, to Denver for the summer.

"We want to provide him with an opportunity to come over this summer for three months to maybe start an education," said volunteer organizer, Joe.

Amadou is 13 years old. He was just 3 years old when his father was killed half a world away. Joe said he's excited about the opportunities to come to Denver.

"He's an eager, clever young guy who wants to learn but doesn't have many opportunities," Joe told CBS4.

Joe and his wife will house Amadou, providing him with education and summer camp experiences.

"We just want him to experience Denver, see a different side of America compared to what his father experienced here," Joe added.

In order to make the trip happen, International Medical Relief needs to raise $15,000. On Wednesday, April 16, they'll host the "Continuing the Dream Benefit for Amadou Dia" at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Denver. All the proceeds from the Silent Auction and Reception will go to fund Amadou's trip to Denver.

"That will take care of Amadou's trip, his flights back and forth over there, education while he's here, healthcare, food," Joe said.

You can find out more about the fundraiser or make a donation by going to http://www.imrhq.org/index.cfm?page=oumar.

Joe asked that CBS4 not use his last name for this story.

Additional Resources

You can find out more about the fundraiser or make a donation by going to a special section of the International Medical Relief Web site.

If you have an idea to Pay It 4ward upload a video of your project proposal at YouReport on cbs4denver.com.

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