Fundraiser to honor boy

Austin Cook would have turned 12 on Sunday.

But on Saturday morning, instead of starting his birthday weekend with wishes and gifts, his family and friends will hold a fundraiser in memory of his short life.

Austin, a sixth-grader at John Muir Middle School, died of a heart attack Nov. 29 after collapsing during a midmorning run in his physical education class.

“I think that, obviously, it was a very traumatic experience for students and the staff,” Principal Dan Hacking said. “The day immediately following Austin’s death was probably the most emotional and difficult day for everybody at Muir Middle School.”

It was a rainy Friday after his passing when the first few bunches of flowers and prayer candles appeared to form a makeshift memorial space for Austin at the entrance of the school.

Since his death, the Cook family has seen an outpouring of support from the community, said Rima Shideler, a close friend of Austin’s mother, Heather Howell.

They’re hoping to transfer that support into something tangible with a pancake breakfast Saturday to raise money for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ Division of Cardiology.

“I would hope that we get 1,000 or more people here for this,” said Shawn Stevens, owner of Krust Cafe & Bakery, one of the fundraiser’s organizers. “We hope to get a tremendous turnout. We are going to be able to handle as many people as show up.”

All of the proceeds from the fundraiser breakfast will go to Austin’s fund.

The Burbank Costco branch is donating all the food and paper goods for the breakfast, and Rick Enterprises is donating the use of griddles and refrigerators.

The breakfast is part of an effort to raise $25,000 in Austin’s memory for the hospital. Donations can also be made to the hospital directly with Austin’s name in the memo of each check.

Krust Cafe & Bakery will be donating 10% of their proceeds through the end of the month to the fund.

Organizers want the morning to be about Austin’s life, not his death, especially in light of his birthday being so close, Stevens said.

Tickets for the breakfast are $5 and $15 for families of four. For more information, call Rima Shideler at (818) 388-4942.