A fundraiser for the Tamir Rice Foundation received a $50,000 donation from basketball star Kyrie Irving Wednesday on what would have been the 23rd birthday for Tamir Rice–an unarmed boy who was shot and killed by Ohio police in 2014 while playing with a toy gun.
His mother, Samaria Rice, created the Tamir Rice Foundation to “invest in the growth and enrichment of all children.” This month, she launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe asking supporters to donate $23 for Rice’s 23rd birthday on June 25. The goal is to raise $110,000.
“I miss my son so much each and every day. As our family approach Tamir’s 23rd birthday. I’m asking for 23 dollars for 23 years without him . I purchased a building in the city of Cleveland to give back to our inner city youth with art and cultural developments,” she wrote.
Rice was playing with a toy gun at a recreation center when Cleveland Police officer Timothy Loehmann shot and killed him.
His death sparked nationwide protests and came amid a string of police killings that gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. Loehmann was never indicted but was fired from the department and has since drifted from department to department.
Kyrie Irving makes surprise donation to Tamir Rice fundraiser
Kiandria Demone, a viral entrepreneur and web developer, made a social media post calling on people to donate.
“Tamir Rice’s mother has a GoFundMe to buy a building for the Tamir Rice Foundation, a safe, creative space for Black kids to learn and grow. She’s turning her pain into purpose and pouring back into the community. She is asking that each person donate $23 in honor of his 23rd birthday. Let’s blow this up and double the goal,” Demone posted.
By Wednesday afternoon on Tamir Rice’s birthday, the fundraiser gained an enormous boost when Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving made a $50,000 donation.
“OMG! When I saw the fundraiser this morning, it was at $1,500 with a goal of $6K. In less than an hour, we got it to $9K just by showing up. Then… Kyrie Irving saw the post. Now she’s raised 10x her goal! I’m so excited for her,” Demone posted in an update. “I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, but I truly hope that with our support, she’ll be able to fulfill her dream of honoring Tamir’s legacy.”
According to Mappingpoliceviolence.us, police have killed at least 582 people in the U.S. in 2025 so far. It notes 2024 was the deadliest year on record for police violence.
“We must invest in our children and communities to educate and teach our children is our duty. Our children need a safe place for them to be able to express themselves through the arts and culture,” Samaria Rice wrote on the fundraiser.
To donate, click here.
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He wasn’t killed at a rec center playing with a toy gun. He had been banned from the rec center due to aggressive behavior. He was angry about being kicked out so he was skulking up and down the sidewalk in front of the center threatening the staff and brandishing an airsoft gun he’d removed the orange safety cap from. He was pointing the gun at other black visitors to the park, who also weren’t sure of his age. He was a hulking 160lb youth not a little boy.
When the police rolled up on him he pulled the weapon from his waistband and started to point it at the cops.
Natural selection happened.
Kid’s parents should have been charged for child negligence.