http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/11/26/955599
NBA great Shaquille O'Neal pays for Shaniya's funeral
The story of what happened to Shaniya Davis has affected thousands of people, including NBA star
Shaquille O'Neal, who paid for the slain 5-year-old child's funeral.
"He was very touched by the story, and requested how to get in touch with the family," said a Cleveland Cavaliers spokesperson, who confirmed Wednesday that O'Neal paid for the service.
More than 2,000 people attended Shaniya's funeral at Manna Church on Sunday. She was buried at Fayetteville Memorial Cemetery.
Corey Breece, of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, would not reveal Wednesday the cost of the child's service. However, he said the
cost of a child's funeral "averages around $4,500."
Bradley Lockhart, 39, the child's father, could not be reached for comment.
A family friend, Vaughn Eason, said the family was out of town for the holidays.-----------------------
Bradley Lockhart and his family had setup a trust fund in memory of Shaniya to help raise money to pay for the funeral.
Eason said last week that any leftover funds earmarked for Shaniya's funeral would go to local charities, groups and agencies that help neglected or abused children.
"Being a law enforcement guy that investigates crimes against children, I wanted to be able to help in some way," Shaq told the Cleveland newspaper.
Shaq completed reserve officer's training when he lived in Los Angeles and Miami, the Cavaliers spokesperson said Wednesday. His last certification was in 2005.
Performing random acts of kindness is nothing new for Shaq.
This answers some questions we have posted...