Peyton Manning honors Chattanooga 'heroes' with fund for families

— -- Peyton Manning on Thursday established the Chattanooga Heroes Fund to benefit the families of the service members and police officers killed or wounded in last week's shooting in the city, and he also made an initial donation.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tennessee), who first announced on the Senate floor Tuesday that Manning had pledged to contribute to help those families, also made an initial donation. Corker is a former mayor of Chattanooga.

"Our family has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the great city of Chattanooga, and it has a very special place in our hearts," the  Denver Broncos quarterback said in a statement. "But on July 16th, 2015, this strong, welcoming community was forever changed by the tragedy that unfolded.

"The five servicemen who gave their lives, the police officer who risked his life in order to protect others, and the actions of many other first responders were truly heroic. We are proud to establish the Chattanooga Heroes Fund to honor these heroes by helping to provide for the future of their families."

The fund is "intended to bridge the gap between shorter-term support and future challenges the families and/or individuals affected by the tragedy stand to face in the coming years," according to a statement from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.

Four Marines and a Navy sailor were killed during the shootings by 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, who was killed in the attack. A Chattanooga police officer also remains hospitalized as a result of the shootings.