In memory of our son, Dakota Grimsby, our family is establishing the Dakota Grimsby Memorial Traffic Safety Fund.

We are asking family, friends, neighbors, and members of the community who wish to honor Dakota to consider contributing to an effort intended to make Poolesville safer.

Contributions made through this GoFundMe will be paid directly to the Town of Poolesville as the campaign’s financial beneficiary. The Town will place the proceeds into a dedicated municipal fund, separate from its General Fund, established as the Dakota Grimsby Memorial Traffic Safety Fund. No campaign funds will pass through our personal bank accounts.

The Fund will support traffic-safety initiatives, pedestrian protection, and enhanced law-enforcement or public-safety presence within Poolesville. Its primary focus is to help provide a visible police presence during the hours following Poolesville Day. The Town will coordinate with the appropriate law-enforcement agencies to secure those resources.

Our hope is that a visible police presence during the hours following Poolesville Day will serve as a deterrent and help everyone make it home safely.

The Town of Poolesville Commissioners have expressed their support for this effort and their commitment to partnering with our family. In a letter presented to us during Dakota’s services, the Commissioners wrote: “We are honored to partner with you in your venture to make Poolesville safer for our families and friends. Dakota’s legacy will be defined not only by the good he instilled in others, but also by our town’s commitment to use all available resources and take every measure to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.”

Our hope is that this will become an enduring part of Dakota’s legacy — something that helps protect others in the community he called home.

The Town has agreed that 100% of the net proceeds it receives from GoFundMe, after standard platform processing fees, will be applied to the traffic- and pedestrian-safety purposes established in the agreement, without municipal administrative overhead charges.

Thank you for helping us remember Dakota in a way that may help prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.

With love and gratitude,

Joseph Grimsby and Dina Vulpis

Dakota’s parents

Tax information: Contributions are made directly to the Town of Poolesville, a municipal corporation and political subdivision of the State of Maryland, for public purposes under Internal Revenue Code Section 170(c)(1). Please consult your tax professional to confirm the deductibility of your donation.