Following the deaths of three members of the Altobelli family – John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, and their daughter Alyssa – in a fatal helicopter crash, a GoFundMe page has raised more than $130,000 for John and Keri’s two remaining children, J.J. and Lexi. The Altobelli’s had been among nine people aboard Kobe Bryant‘s helicopter flying to the Mamba Sports Academy for a basketball game when it went down just outside Los Angeles, leaving no survivors.
“As many of you have read by now, a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 in Calabasas, CA has claimed the lives of nine people. John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli were among the nine victims,” the page’s creator, Paul Toboni, wrote. “Most devastating to our Red Sox family, John, Keri, and Alyssa were the father, stepmother and younger sister of one of our scouts, J.J. Altobelli.”
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“As J.J. and his sister Lexi cope with the immense sadness stemming from this accident, we want to rally to raise money for them,” the page continues. “Ensuring that J.J. and Lexi don’t have to worry about financial insecurity moving forward is the least we can do.”
“While the Red Sox and its Foundation will be providing financial and emotional support, we understand that opening this up to the public can provide the Altobelli Family with the most security moving forward,” it adds. “These funds will help J.J. and Lexi as they are faced with funeral costs, Lexi’s future education, as well as other general living costs. Please join us in contributing – no amount is too small.”
Currently, the fundraiser has raised more than $171,000 of its $500,000 goal, with many of the donators leaving messages of support for those grieving the losses.
“Just a small way of saying that the world is grieving with the families of this tragic event and care about those who passed and want to hep those left behind,” wrote one.
“So sorry for your tremendous loss,” added another. “Take care of yourselves and each other.”
The Altobelli’s had been aboard the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter on their way to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy, where their 13-year-old daughter played on the same team as Bryant’s daughter Gianna, when the aircraft went down in dense fog. Along with the Altobellis, Bryant, and his daughter, the crash also claimed the lives of girls basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton Chester, and pilot Ara Zobayan.
John Altobelli was a baseball coach at Orange Coast College. On Tuesday, the Pirates, the college’s baseball team, paid tribute, according to PEOPLE. As the team began their 2020 season, the entered Wendell Pickens Field underneath a banner that read “The House That Alto Built” and wore John’s number, 14. Those in attendance also took a moment of silence before the first pitch.
