Fund created in honor of officer killed by marathon bombers

FILE- In this Nov. 19, 2014, file photo, George Hanna’s daughter Debra embraces Kelley Rogers, center, mother of slain Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier after receiving the Medal of Honor awarded posthumously to Collier during the 31st Annual Trooper George L. Hanna Memorial Awards for Bravery ceremony at the Statehouse in Boston. AP

BOSTON, Massachusetts—The family of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer killed by the Boston Marathon bombers is creating a new foundation in his name.

The Sean Collier Memorial Fund will be announced Thursday in Boston.

Collier was shot to death by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NEYE’-ehv) and his brother, Tamerlan (TAM’-ehr-luhn), as they tried to flee the Boston area three days after the 2013 bombings.

The fund was established to honor Collier’s lifelong dedication to volunteerism and community service.

The goal is to produce a better understanding between law enforcement officers/first responders and young people by investing in organizations that share Collier’s visions.

The fund also hopes to support educational opportunities for people planning law enforcement careers and to provide assistance to families of officers killed or injured in the line of duty.