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CINCINNATI, Ohio (WLWT) — Nearly three weeks after Lincoln Heights father of five Eddie Crossty was killed, the people who knew him best are making sure his legacy lives on.
Coworkers at Christ Hospital have launched a fundraiser to support Jackson Street Farms, the urban farm in Lincoln Heights where the 50-year-old spent his free time teaching children how to grow vegetables, caring for chickens and mentoring young people in his community.
Instead of sending flowers, they decided to invest in the work they say mattered most to Eddie.
“We wanted to do something that’s going to be a lasting memory,” Tammy McFarland, assistant manager of the emergency department at Christ Hospital, said.
Crossty was shot June 29 in a driveway near Jackson and Leggett streets in Lincoln Heights. He later died from his injuries.
Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies said a juvenile suspect was later turned in at the Hamilton County Juvenile Center by a parent. The juvenile has since been charged with aggravated murder, murder and two counts of felonious assault.
At Christ Hospital, coworkers say Eddie’s impact reached far beyond his job title.
As supervisor of environmental services, he was known for greeting everyone with a smile, leading by example and making people feel welcome.
“He always greeted everybody with a smile. He knew everybody and everybody in the hospital knows Eddie,” McFarland said.
What many of his coworkers didn’t realize was that when Eddie left the hospital, he headed to Jackson Street Farm.
There, the father of five devoted his time to teaching children how to grow food and mentoring young people.
“When we heard about that, that kind of went along with his personality,” McFarland said. “Always smiling, always funny … always really kind and willing to do whatever he could for somebody.”
Hospital leaders hope the fundraiser will help continue Eddie’s vision for the farm, including plans for a new chicken coop and expanded opportunities for children.
“Maybe build the new chicken coop that Eddie had a vision for, or grow more vegetables or bring more kids in and be able to help them and mentor them and live on his legacy,” McFarland said.
The fundraiser is being managed through the Christ Hospital Credit Union. Organizers say the donation account will remain open through Labor Day, with all proceeds benefiting Jackson Street Farm. Donations must be made in person at the credit union using cash or a check.
Young says the outpouring of support from coworkers comes as no surprise, because Eddie touched lives both inside the hospital and throughout the community.
“He made an impact with the Christ Hospital community and his own community,” Chariss Young, an emergency department manager at Christ Hospital, said. “It’s truly a tragedy, and he’s going to be missed.”
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