Fundraising event for Sade Robinson memorial held at 3rd Street Market Hall, follows County Board withdrawal

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- An event aiming to raise money for Sade Robinson's memorial was held on Sunday, Feb. 16 with city and county leaders in attendance.

For a $50 donation, people were able to get a meal and unlimited drinks from noon to 3 p.m. Robin's family, including her mother, Sheena Scarbrough, spoke with those who came to the event.

“Today, I’m feeling very supported by the community. I’m very grateful," Scarbrough said.

This fundraiser came after Milwaukee County supervisors canceled their efforts to create a place for remembrance for Robinson, the 19-year-old woman who investigators say was killed while on a first date last April.

County supervisors say they wanted to honor Robinson’s memory at Warnimont Park in Cudahy, but many received racist emails regarding the installation and questions about taxpayers paying for this memorial and not others.

That's when Omar Shaikh stepped in.

"I have a family myself. A son and two daughters and just got emotional,” said Shaikh, the co-owner of 3rd Street Market Hall and owner of Carnevor Steakhouse. “I was happy. I knew I could always fundraise. It’s not a whole lot of money to raise privately.”

Shaikh says while he believes taxpayers shouldn’t be paying for a memorial, it's important to support Robinson's family.

“Let’s show up and show support to the family and show them how much we care about our community, and we care about the people in our community,” said Shaikh. “You know, it really struck me when she said, 'I really want a memorial for my daughter. I don’t even know where all her body parts are.'” And that’s what really hit me because that’s such a disgusting, terrible thing for anyone to happen to.”

The cost to build the memorial would have been $7,000. Shaikh says he’s already raised over $20,000 and wants to raise up to $50,000.

“I’m just glad we were able to find a way to bring more people to the table and find a solution for honoring Sade Robinson," said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who attended Sunday's fundraiser.

Other city and county leaders were in attendance, including Milwaukee Common Council President José Pérez, who said he lost his niece in 2023 due to domestic violence.

"We'll continue to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else," Pérez said.

You can donate to Sade Robinson's foundation here.