"Walk for Josie" Raises Big Money
Over $10,000 raised for beaten teen who continues recovery
Josie Ratley
What was supposed to be simply a show of support for badly beaten teen Josie Lou Ratley on Sunday instead turned into a massive fundraiser, with over $10,000 raised to help pay for her medical expenses.
The "Walk for Josie" at Deerfield Beach Middle School raised $10,185 for Ratley, according to Ratley family attorney Rick Freedman.
The walk started in four separate locations, with participants converging on the track and football field at the school. People held signs saying "Stop Violence" and "Josie We Love You."
Pizza slices, dessert, drinks and t-shirts with artwork designed by the 15-year-old Ratley were sold, with all proceeds going to the "Josie Lou Ratley Fund."
Josie's mother, Hilda Gotay Ratley, was overwhelmed by the support.
"I can't wait to see Josie and tell her about this," she told the crowd.
Ratley has been in the hospital since the March 17 attack outside the school that nearly killed her. She spent three weeks in a medically induced coma and has undergone at least three operations to reduce swelling on her head.
Her alleged attacker, 15-year-old Wayne Treacy, has been charged with attempted murder in the beating.
The "Walk for Josie" event was organized by John Esposito, whose two daughters also attend Deerfield Beach Middle School.
Freedman said Esposito hadn't thought of the walk as a fundraiser, and the two were blown away by the amount of money raised.
"When John Esposito contacted me a couple of weeks ago, this was not envisioned as a fundraiser," Freedman said in a statement. "It was supposed to be a rally for all the great children that live in the Deerfield Beach community. Well, the community rallied around John and responded with overwhelming support for Josie and her family."
After the walk, the Ratley family visited Josie in the hospital, where she was eating solid food for the first time. Her first meal: a Big Mac, fries and a Coke, with her favorite snack, a Slim Jim, for dessert.
Freedman said Josie smiled when she was shown pictures of her artwork and signs from the walk.
"The doctors are amazed at how well she looked today," Freedman said. "She is still not walking or talking, but her spirits are much higher."
