Fundraiser to be held for Patel family

Published 12:00 am Friday, September 13, 2024

SALISBURY — A public bake sale fundraiser for the family of Mainank “Mike” Patel will be held Saturday, Sept. 14, from 2-9 p.m.

The event will be held at 2580 Airport Road at the Tobacco House store which Patel had operated for years.

Patel was shot and killed at the store on Aug. 13, allegedly during a robbery attempt. Jhack Aaron Pless, 16, has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the case.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go “to wife Ami Patel, daughter Pahki and new baby,” according to the flyer. Ami Patel is, according to friends, seven months pregnant with the couple’s second child.

Donations of baby gifts including gender neutral items and diapers are also welcome.

In previous interviews, Javier Lopez, who has been cutting the grass at the store for years, said “There are just no words to describe how great a guy Mike was.” The store remains open for business at this time.