WAYNE COUNTY — A Wayne County candle company raised $25 thousand to donate to the Richmond Police Department’s (RPD) K9 unit in honor of fallen officer Seara Burton.
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Warm Glow Candle Co. began selling handmade “thin blue line” inspired candles for about a week earlier this month.
Each candle was sold for $20 each with 100% of that money being donated to RPD.
Newscenter 7′s John Bedell spoke with the owner of Warm Glow Candle Co. who said he was humbled, but not surprised at the amount of support from the community.
“The demand was so significant,” Warm Glow Candle Co. CEO, Justin Burkhardt said. “Both Richmond and Centerville and Wayne County all came together for this and it was incredible.”
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It was important to Burkhardt to get the candle design just right.
“We wanted to capture the thin blue line,” Burkhardt said. “She’s a hero and we wanted this to display that.”
Burkhardt plans to wait to donate the money to the department until after Burton’s funeral.
“Right now is her time and her family’s time. So we want to make sure we’re being respectful of that,” he said. “We’re really excited to be making the donation to Richmond Police Department. But we’ll do that when the family and the police department is ready for it.”
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This donation is not the only way that this candle company has honored Burton, at the entrance of the store they set up a wreath to honor her.
Many of the thin blue line candles are being shipped out of state to current and retired police officers and their families to celebrate this hero.
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