LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A locally-founded national chain restaurant, known for its big crowd of diners, turned over all of the revenue totaling $13,500 at four locations Tuesday to the family of a local hero.
It's all part of Wilt Week, a lineup of events for Ofc. Nickolas Wilt, who was shot in the head while racing toward the mass shooter on April 10. Every event is to help raise money for his family and his recovery.
The St. Matthews Police Department began Wilt Week with a donation site held during National Night Out.
“This is a great way to kick that off and set the tone for the rest of the city to see how much money we can get for him,” Chief Barry Wilkerson said.
This effort started with a donation box in the lobby of Independence Bank in St. Matthews. Employees there were reeling from the tragedy of the mass shooting at Old National Bank, and showed up to support one of the officers who responded that fateful day.
"We're really here because we lost some good friends at Old National Bank. We had several friends killed, several friends injured,” Louis Straub, president of Louisville Independence Bank, said.
Over in the dunk tank, Kevin Roy, president of the St. Matthews Fraternal Order of Police, did his part each time a softball sent him into the lukewarm water.
“We give back to the community as much as we can and this is just one way that we’re gonna do it,” Roy said.
Outside St. Matthews, fundraising continued for Wilt at Texas Roadhouse locations across Louisville. A hundred percent of the profits from four of the restaurants were raised for Wilt.
In a social media post on Wednesday, the Louisville Metro Police Foundation announced Texas Roadhouse donated $13,500 to the organization to support Wilt's ongoing recovery.
April Pearce, one of the evening’s diners, described Wilt’s wounding as “sad,” but came to offer more than money.
“I just came to support them and say prayers for them,” she said.
With a full parking lot, the Outer Loop Texas Roadhouse had wait times of up to an hour and a half. Hundreds of diners joined Pearce in the fundraising effort.
"When we opened the doors tonight, there was a line wrapped around the building. It has been coming all day long, and we are still on a wait,” Kimberly Johnstone, a Texas Roadhouse spokesperson, said.
According to Straub, Texas Roadhouse raised over $20,000 during the first hour of the fundraiser. Following the fundraiser, Texas Roadhouse donated $13,500 to the LMPD Foundation, to support the ongoing recovery of Officer Nick Wilt.
As Wilt Week goes on, there will be more opportunities to give.
"Please participate in Wilt Week. Please participate in helping Officer Wilt. Your donation's not only for him, but it's really a statement to all of our police officers that we're here to help them,” Straub said.
Though Wilt has miraculously returned home, his journey isn’t over and he has the support of a grateful city.
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