Athletes Raise Money For Deputy Injured In Shootout
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4) - A group of athletes pushed their workouts to the extreme on Saturday to raise money for a deputy shot in the line of duty.
Members of CrossFit Loop in Castle Rock raised nearly $2,300 in a couple of hours on Saturday for Douglas County Sheriff's Detective Dan Brite.
Brite was showing some signs of progress while recovering in the hospital where he was admitted in critical condition after the shooting on Sept. 2.
Authorities said that Brite suffered a gunshot wound to the chest after a suicidal man opened fire near Sierra Middle School in Parker.
On Saturday, officials said that Brite was awake and alert, was eating and breathing on his own, and had been communicating with his family.
Aside from his loved ones, the injured officer had many community members pulling for him.
"We all kind of went through a little bit of pain and suffering to help honor him," said John Layman, a coach and member of CrossFit Loop. "And it was just great to see how many people actually turned out."
An estimated 300 people packed the box to bring in donations to help Brite in what was expected to be a long road to recovery.
Lee Eisenheim, owner of CrossFit Loop, said that Brite's badge number 1409 would stay on the facility's scoreboard until his release from the hospital.
CrossFit Loop members said that Brite's sacrifice inspired them to take their workouts to a higher level.
"During this workout, you might want to stop. You might think it's too hard," said Eisenheim. "But remember (Detective) Brite, and he's going through something far more difficult than we are right now."
While the fundraiser was a one-day event, CrossFit Loop will continue to collect donations for Brite.
LINK: CrossFit Loop
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.
