Manuel “Manny” Ortiz of the Rochester Police Department died Nov. 2, 2019. Provided by the Rochester Police Department

The GoFundMe account for late Rochester Police Office Manny Ortiz received a boost with the promise of a matching donation.

The Rochester Police Foundation, which posted the GoFundMe page, said on Nov. 11 that Subaru and Ford dealer Kitty VanBortel will match up to $17,000 in donations. The Rochester Police Foundation set a goal of $50,000. As of midday Nov. 11, about $19,900 had been pledged.

Among Ortiz’s family are a 10-year-old and 12-year-old.

“Manny Ortiz was beloved by his family, his fellow officers, and the many citizens he touched as a community police officer,” Tim Tompkins, president of the Rochester Police Foundation wrote in a news release announcing the matching pledge. “Officer Ortiz was particularly loved within Rochester’s large Puerto Rican Community. He was seen as a role model and goodwill ambassador. As much as he was seen as a larger than life figure within the greater community, he was a giant in the lives of his family and particularly his children. They have lost a father and provider, so the Police Foundation has created a fund to specifically assist his minor children.”

Ortiz died at approximately 7 p.m. Nov.2 while driving to work. Monroe Cuonty Sheriff Todd Baxter in a news conference Nov. 4 said that Ortiz’s personal weapon accidentally discharged and the bullet hit the femoral artery in his left leg.

The Police Foundation is a nonprofit founded to support the Rochester Police Department and its officers. Donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.