Daughter holds clay shooting fundraiser in memory of Tampa officer

LITHIA (FOX 13) - A fundraiser is entering its second year in memory of a Tampa police offer who died while off duty.

Howard Gimbel was a motorcycle officer with the Tampa Police Department. In 2016, he was riding his motorcycle when a car, running a stop sign, struck and killed him. His wife, who was riding with him, was injured, but survived the crash. 

Gimbel left behind a daughter, Sarah, who created a charitable foundation in her father’s memory. Sarah and her dad used to go clay shooting together, so she thought it was only natural to host a clay shooting even as a fundraiser called, the Howard Gimbel Memorial Shoot.

Sarah says the community stepped up to help her after her father’s death, and she wants to pay that forward and help others. Through the Howard Gimbel Memorial Foundation, money is raised to give scholarships to deserving high school seniors. 

On the Howard Gimbel Memorial Foundation website, she wrote:

Through this charity I have found so much joy, a true happiness, giving to others and back to my community. My father gave me so much and now, through the Foundation, I can honor the community he served, who gave me more than I could imagine when my father no longer could.

The 2nd Annual Howard Gimbel Memorial Sporting Clay Tournament will be held on April 7 at FishHawk Sporting Clays, located at 13505 Hobson Simmons Road in Lithia. Every skill level is welcomed. 

For additional information, including registration details, click over to the foundation’s website here: hgmemorialfoundation.com.