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Summary A Canadian raised $700,000 to support a 68-year-old bullied New York school bus monitor.
Max Sidorov was so moved by the story of a bullied New York school bus monitor that he started an online campaign to raise money to send Karen Klein on vacation. His goal was $5,000.But the campaign had far exceeded that amount when it ended Friday night, raising more than $700,000.A spokeswoman for the fundraising site Indiegogo said more than 30,000 people from all over the world contributed, with donations coming in from at least 84 countries and all 50 states. The site listed the raised amount as $703,873 Saturday morning.Sidorov, a 25-year-old Canadian, came up with the idea for the monthlong campaign for the 68-year-old suburban Rochester grandmother. He said he was moved by a 10-minute video posted online showing Klein enduring profanity, insults and threats from middle school students on a school bus.The four middle schoolers who bullied school bus monitor Karen Klein, 68, will be suspended for one year.The school system in the town of Greece has suspended four seventh-grade students for a year. At least three of the boys issued written apologies to Klein.Sidorov said he was as surprised as anyone with the final result of his posting, which also recorded nearly 28,000 comments.He said he will soon launch a new drive with a goal of $7 million to combat bullying with counseling, a television series and a nonprofit social media website.Klein didnt immediately return telephone messages left at her home Friday.
