Newtown Charity Is Missing $70K in Donations

A charity formed after the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School has been unable to account for more than $70,000 it raised through marathon running. Co-founder Ryan Graney of Nashville said only $30,000 of the $103,000 taken in by the 26.4.26 Foundation was used for the organization's purpose. That money was presented last January by co-founder Robbie Bruce to the nonprofit NYA, a youth sports center in Newtown, where the December 2012 shooting occurred.

Graney said that Bruce was in charge of the organization's finances, but that Bruce has cut off contact with her. He could not be reached to comment. Graney, meanwhile, has filed complaints with the FBI and the Tennessee attorney general's office. The idea behind the 26.4.26 Foundation was for runners to participate in marathons, raising money for each of the 26 miles they ran and dedicating each mile to one of the 26 victims of the school shooting—20 children and six educators. The fundraising effort was featured in Runner's World magazine and was the subject of several local news stories. (More Newtown, Connecticut stories.)