Lincoln church hosts fundraiser for the widow of Concordia student-athlete killed in a car accident

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Community members gathered at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Sunday, but for many of them, it was about more than just breakfast.

The church hosted a pancake breakfast fundraiser to support the widow of Matthew Wing, who died in a car accident on March 13.

“We also know the void in her heart with her husband’s passing,” said Rev. Jeff Bloom. “We wanted to fill that void with some love.”

SEE ALSO: Concordia University student-athlete killed, three injured in western Missouri crash

Wing was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where his dad is the pastor, and shares a close relationship with Immanuel Lutheran.

When the idea for the fundraiser came, Rev. Bloom said many people stepped up to help.

“We were talking to the food pantry, and they were saying, ‘I can do this, I can help that.’ We had a woman here this morning at like 7 o’clock, cooking sausage,” he said. “There are a lot of people downstairs that I didn’t help, but they’re down there helping. It’s just kind of fun to see this body of believers come together to support the Wing family and provide a service in the community.”

The church distributed bracelets featuring Wing’s confirmation verse to preserve his memory.

But the biggest message the church hopes to give to the Wing family is that they aren’t alone.

“You have friends that love you,” Bloom said. “That’s really what I want them to see. We want to help. It’s like one of those things where you’re like, “How do you help?” We decided we’re going to help in this way. And I think in the end, I want them to know that they’re cared for.”