Vanessa Bryant Announces MambaOnThree Fund to Help Families Affected By Tragic Helicopter Crash

Vanessa Bryant is doing what she can to help the families of those killed in the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Vanessa broke her silence on Wednesday in a heartbreaking statement posted to Instagram where she thanked "the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time," and expressed her sorrow for the other families who are in mourning.

"We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately," Vanessa wrote. "There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now."

In memory of the other passengers -- Alyssa, John and Keri Altobelli, Payton and Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan -- Vanessa announced the formation of the MambaOnThree Fund, established to raise funds to benefit the victims' families.

"To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org," she wrote. "To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org."

The Mamba Sports Academy also addressed the fund in a touching post dedicated to all nine people who lost their lives on Sunday in the hills of Calabasas, California.

"The Mamba Sports Academy family is devastated by the passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven other people lost on Sunday," the academy wrote, in part, in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. 

"Kobe Bryant was so much more than a partner in Mamba Sports Academy. He was a caring father, husband, coach, and champion of youth sports. We mourn not only one of the greatest athletes of all time, but an active and engaged member of our community and a visionary whose impact was only beginning to be felt by society," the statement reflected. "He will be remembered most for the care he placed and pleasure he took in educating the next generation, none more so than Gianna, Alyssa, Payton and their Mamba teammates."

The group also encouraged those who want to help the families to donate what they can to the MambaOnThree fund.

Shortly after Vanessa and the Mamba Sports Academy shared the link to the MambaOnThree fund, it appears the charity was so inundated with visitors that the site crashed. The love for Bryant's family, and the heartache the public feels for the families of everyone involved in the tragedy, is clear and overwhelming.

Watch the video below for more on Vanessa's emotional and heartbreaking post honoring Kobe and Gianna's memories.

Vanessa Bryant Breaks Silence on Deaths of Kobe and Gianna

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