Donations pour in to build 'crime-fighting cave' for sick children

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Last year, Tyson Coldwell filled 1,000 mason jars with loose change that he collected and donated $2,000 to the Colton Colwell Foundation,

"It just popped into my mind when I heard mason jar, I'm like, 'I'm gonna fill them to see if people will fill them,'" he said.

Charles Keller started the foundation in 2009 after giving Colton Colwell a ride in his famous replica Batmobile. At the time, Colton was sick with cancer and has been an inspiration since.

"We saw probably, about two-years-ago, the demand for the cave was such that the current facility couldn't meet all the folks that wanted to come through," he said.

"I tell people this is my time with Colton every time I'm here," said Erika Colwell, Tyson's mom. "I see him in other kids who are experiencing what he did."

Two hundred and seventeen families have visited the crime-fighting cave in the past few years and the plan is to build one seven times its size.

"The bigger cave we're going to be able to help a lot more families, too," Keller said.

That's why Tyson has a bigger goal this year to double the mason jars, which would double the donations.

"We're helping him, we're going to put out jars at various police stations, so that people can donate money," said Sgt. Tommy Thompson with the Phoenix Police Department.

The goal is to raise $4 million and start construction on the new crime-fighting cave by the end of 2017.