Squirrel Hill man raises funds for anti-gun groups in parallel with Pittsburgh rally

A Squirrel Hill man created a Facebook page centered on Monday’s armed gun rally outside Pittsburgh City Hall and raised nearly $3,000 in donations for anti-gun groups.

Ron Gaydos, who lives three blocks from the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, where a mass shooting occurred in October, said the estimated $2,710 donated by 68 people would be distributed equally to CeaseFirePA, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and the Women’s March on Pittsburgh.

Gaydos, owner of Scenius Strategies, an economic development consulting firm with offices in Squirrel Hill and Allentown, said he created the Facebook page Saturday, asking for unspecified pledges based on the number of protesters at the rally.

“If you want to pledge per gun group attendee, please make a donation based on 100 attendees,” he wrote on Facebook. “Figure out the total donation based on your pledge amount, or you can keep it simple and just donate a set amount.”

The page will remain until Jan. 19, and donations continue to arrive, he said.

“The motivation is, I live three blocks from Tree of Life, and I heard all the police racing in,” Gaydos said. “I’ve been real concerned about assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and high-velocity ammunition for a long time. I thought most of the protesters are coming from out of town, and the gun safety groups need resources, so let’s turn the tables on them.”

Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bob at 412-765-2312, bbauder@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobbauder.