Bakers who refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple on religious grounds have raised $372,000 in donations to help pay fines.
A Christian couple, Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Oregon, closed their bakery in 2013 amid backlash over their decision to refuse service to the lesbian couple. Earlier this month, the bakery owners were ordered to pay a total of $135,000 in damages to the couple "for emotional and mental suffering resulting from the denial of service," according to court documents from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.
The donations made on the site Continue to Give were almost triple the goal and raise the most money of any personal fundraiser on the site to date, Continue to Give founder Jesse Wellhoefer said.
"Not only is our platform the perfect place for the Kleins to raise money, but we also appreciate the stand they are making for religious freedom," Wellheofer told NBC News.
