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The family of U.S. Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) announced this weekend that it has created the Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animals, through the Greater Washington Community Foundation.
Named for the congressman’s son, who died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 25, the fund will distribute money on a semiannual basis to causes and charities championed and advanced by Tommy Raskin, such as Oxfam, Give Directly, the Helen Keller Institute, and Animal Outlook. The fund has been launched with an initial contribution of $50,000.
In a statement, the Raskin family said it “remains powerfully moved and grateful for the outpouring of love and support from friends, neighbors, constituents, colleagues and people from across the country, but is stressing continued adherence to COVID-19 protocols during this time of grief.”
Condolences can be sent by email to Jamie.Raskin@mail.house.gov or by mail to the congressman’s Rockville office at 51 Monroe St., Suite 503, Rockville, Md. 20850.
“The family has been profoundly moved by communications from Tommy’s friends, classmates and teachers from Takoma Park Elementary School, Pine Crest Elementary, Eastern Middle School, Montgomery Blair High School, Amherst College and Harvard Law School, as well as his own students from his ‘Justice’ section at Harvard College,” the statement continued. “Thank you for reaching out.”
The family plans to hold a private funeral service on Tuesday morning, and will schedule virtual public memorial services later this month. Details will be announced shortly.
No information has been released yet on the cause of Tommy Raskin’s death. In addition to his father, he is survived by his mother, former U.S. deputy Treasury secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin, his sisters Hannah and Tabitha, his grandparents Arlene Bloom and Lynn Raskin and several other relatives.
