By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The organizer of a fundraiser to help out local farmer whose home was targeted with racist graffiti for speaking out against intolerance says negative backlash has led to it being shut down.

Renay Gedeon and her husband who own Gedeon Farms in Green Oak Township had their home vandalized Tuesday night with racist graffiti. The words "Que" and "KKK" were spray-painted on the side of her home and on the garage door, along with other vandalism. Gedeon said she’s convinced that the attack was directly related to her interview on WHMI last week in which she said the cancellation of Howell's Melonfest had unnecessarily become a political issue due to the planned, but later cancelled, Drag Queen Bingo event.

After word spread, Lianne Cooke and a group of other local moms came together and wanted to help out the family so they sent people over to try and remove the racist graffiti and also started a GoFundMe account. Since then, Cooke says people on social media and elsewhere have accused the family of damaging their own property and called the fundraiser a scam. After all of the negative comments being posted, Cooke says the family is incredibly hurt and upset and doesn't want to accept the money so she shut down the fundraiser.

Cooke stressed the family never asked for any money; they’re just a group of local moms trying to help. She says Sherwin Williams donated paint and another mom is reportedly donating security systems. Cooke said if more money was raised than the cost of damages via the fundraiser, her thought was they’re a struggling local farming business that barely made it through a pandemic and could probably put the extra money into the farm or use it for other bills and costs or maybe even take a day off and not have to worry.

Cooke told WHMI there was nothing shady about the fundraiser and she truly believes that those who donated were more or less donating to say they support local farmers and won’t stand for this kind of racism in Livingston County - adding everything has been very disheartening.

Cooke added that she feels the big picture is also getting missed in all of this. She said the family had “KKK” and racist slogans spray-painted on their house – which is very scary and not ok and she doesn’t know why that’s being overlooked. Cooke commented further that Livingston County and Howell specifically keep trying to say it’s not racist out here anymore and want to bring in more diverse crowds but questioned why people would believe that it has changed or even want to come out here when things like this are still happening.

Cooke said no bank account had been set up yet for the funds and she’s in the process of talking with GoFundMe to get everyone refunds. She noted that some people don’t want their money back and still want to support the family so that will likely have to be done privately.

A link to the account is provided.