New fundraising goal: Michael Johnson calls for $200,000 after second night of State St looting

MADISON, Wis. — The CEO of Dane County’s Boys and Girls Club is asking to double his original goal to help downtown businesses hit by damage and looting after a second night of violence in Madison.

“A lot of these businesses don’t have insurance,” Michael Johnson said in an interview with the News 3 Now This Morning team. “Seventy percent live in our community.”

Johnson’s GoFundMe was well above the original goal of $100,000 Monday morning, prompting Johnson to call on donors to help him hit $200,000. He said more than 2,300 donors had taken part, with an average donation of around $50.

Johnson also spoke up about the looting itself.

“It takes away from the narrative,” he said. “It takes away, I think, from seeking justice for George Floyd and his family. They would not want to see us burning down police cars and breaking into Target.”

“I understand why people are fed up,” Johnson said. “People are fed up with being over policed. There’s a lot of built up anger and energy in our community, and I just want to ask people to continue to protest peacefully.”