Every day, when he’s riding in the back seat of his parent’s car, Brandon Bautista passes by the memorial of the sheriff’s deputy that sits by the side of U.S. 69.
“Deputy Brandon Collins. All gave some. Some gave all,” the blue and white sign says.
Because they share the same first name, Brandon feels a special connection with the fallen deputy.
“We have the same name,” Brandon said. “Brandon Collins and Brandon Bautista.”
And so, when his birthday rolled around this year, the Kansas City, Missouri, boy decided that instead of asking for something for himself, he’d do something different – raise money for Collins’ family.
“I want to be a firefighter when I grow up, so I really support cops and paramedics and firefighters that die,” Brandon told CNN affiliate KMBC.
He asked his mom if he could just ask his friends to bring cash.
He was hoping to raise $50. But with the help of 13 friends, he was able to raise $335.
“When she told me $335, I was just really excited, so we could help his family,” he said.
Master Deputy Brandon Collins had worked at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for almost 21 years. He was killed September 11 when a truck crashed into the back of his cruiser while he was conducting a traffic stop. He left behind a wife and children.
Brandon is a Royals fan, and his mother says a lot of his inspiration stems from charitable acts by other Royals fans.
“Doing good for others pays off because that’s where he’s seen it,” she said. “It’s not like he came up with this out of the blue. He’s seen other people do good things,” Brandon’s mother, Kari Lein, said.
