Fundraising event at vape shop for family in deadly car crash

HUMBLE, Texas (FOX 26) - An event to raise funds in support of the families of a man and child killed in a Father's Day car crash will take place on Saturday afternoon at The Vape Shop by Max and Zach.

"We're not just about blowing clouds, we're here to help people," said Jeremy Bosley, who is volunteering his weekend and decades of pit master experience to man the smoker parked in the lot outside the shop. "We're going to have ten dollar plates. It's going to be brisket, chicken, sausage, beans, potato salad, pickles..."

The event, which will take place from 2 p.m. until Saturday evening in the plaza at 8023 FM 1960 Road in east Humble, will also include raffles, auctions and live music. Proceeds will benefit the Johnson and Harpole families.

On Father's Day, Jared Johnson was on a fishing trip with his 7-year old son, Bubba, and 32-year old friend Luke Harpole, a retired U.S. Marine Corp veteran who served three combat tours of duty. The vehicle they were in crashed and oinly Jared would survive.

"Luke, Jared and Bubba were in the shop about three days before the accident," recalls Zach Jones, co-owner of The Vape Shop. "We heard about the accident and Jared came in the shop. He told us the story of what happened and we decided it was our duty to help out the customer. Now, he's become a friend."

Just 24 hours before the event, Jones tells FOX 26 News that he knows electronic cigarettes are a divisive topic but hopes people will come out to support the Johnson and Harpole families. Jones says he and his co-owner have long cared about helping others, emphasizing a major goal of their shop is to use vaporizers to assist customers in quitting traditional cigarettes. Their lounge-like shop was designed to bring people together. While the ownership team has never hosted a fundraising event before, they are thrilled with the amount of local businesses and customers already getting involved.

As one of their volunteers, pit master Bosley adds, "Our whole community gets together and we do what we've got to do to help anybody -- doesn't matter who they are or whether they are a 'vaper' or not."

To donate to the families, visit www.gofundme.com/johnsonharpole. For more information about the event, visit the event Facebook page at www.facebook.com/events/1734480736794716/.