Armstrong Community United Fundraising Benefit

Tonight the group Community United will host a fundraising benefit from 7-12 p.m. at the Golden Valley VFW to show support for those families of the three male Robbinsdale Armstrong High School students who were suspended this fall in an incident where one student passed out while in the hallway at school.

The school community reacted strongly to the incident and the disciplinary process. Supporters with the community group Community United, which was formed to help the boys' and their families, say the families involved had legal fees in excess of $25,000.

Tonight's event is to raise money to help those families. There is a cash bar and DJ. Admission is $15 and there is a silent auction with autographed photos by sports players and famous actors like Al Pacino, jewlery and more than 48 gift cards. The auction items total more than $8,000.

According to the Community United's Facebook page (which has been taken down recently), the group describes how and why it was formed:

"Recent events have created a misunderstanding between students, parents and school administration in which our community lost sight of the end goal of guiding students to become the best they can be for their and our future. The financial cost to the families involved was in the tens of thousands of dollars, so the community is uniting to lessen the burden. In the process, it is our hope that this event will renew our strong sense of community and return our focus to the future of our children."