Bill Sorrell strode over to the ladies ripping open packets of Swiss Miss and made his announcement: "A guy just dropped off a $1,000 check! Is that awesome or what?"

The women cheered, then went back to stirring steaming styrofoam cups with their white plastic spoons and filling a large bowl with Chips Ahoy and Oreos.

The hot chocolate and cookie stand held Sunday afternoon at the corner of Geyer Road and Essex Avenue raised money for BackStoppers, which helps families of police officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty.

The stand was a simple gesture, but it brought comfort to a grief-stricken community three days after a shooting at City Hall left six dead, including two police officers.

Beth Huck, 39, of Glendale, was driving to work the morning after Thursday night's attack when she came up with the idea. She remembered a lemonade stand that helped raise money when another Kirkwood officer, Sgt. William McEntee, was gunned down nearly three years ago.

As soon as Huck got to work, she called her parents, who asked Mark and Debbie Zisser to donate the use of their tire and auto shop lot. She made a simple flier and e-mailed it to about 40 of her friends. "Stop by, and tell everyone you know to stop by," it read.

The e-mail spread quickly. Volunteers with Kirkwood's Community Emergency Response Team offered to help collect donations. Officer Tom Ballman, one of the shooting victims, was instrumental in

organizing the training program more than a year ago.

Organizers began setting up the stand more than an hour before its noon opening, and people were already lining up. Volunteers didn't have hot water yet, but it didn't matter — people just wanted to give.

Residents swarmed the stand until it closed at 3 p.m. Debbie Zisser greeted everyone with a smile, "How about some hot chocolate?"

Many turned the cocoa down while handing over money, thanking them for what they were doing. Some stood and lingered in the parking lot, with their children huddled by their legs, chatting about how they knew one, or maybe all, of the victims.

Two out of every three cars driving by the shop's intersection were donating money, said volunteer Bill Blase, 43, of Kirkwood. Over halfway through the afternoon, he learned Huck had organized the event. He took a break from collecting and walked over to the stand and gave her a hug.

"What a great idea," he told her. "Grown men are in tears. Couples are in tears. This is part of the grieving process. People just want to help somehow."

Pat Waldschmidt, 46, and his wife, Theresa, bought their cups and walked back to their car with a smile. They talked about how the fundraiser is a reminder that people are good, that murder and rage are the exception.

"I think it's really important for people to pull together and do nice things," Waldschmidt said. "It makes it feel like everything is going to be OK."

Huck said the stand offered a way for everyone to give — whether it be writing a big check or emptying out the change in their ashtrays — when they don't know what else to do.

"It wasn't a whole lot. It wasn't a big, logistical thing," she said. "But sometimes a little thing makes a big impact."

Ballman's family issued a statement Sunday, thanking the community for its outpouring of love and concern:

"This is such a difficult time for so many. Sometimes it is hard to understand how to begin to heal from this tragic, senseless act of violence. For our family, just knowing that there are so many wonderful people praying for us and sending us their heartfelt wishes is the thing that carries us through this tragedy."

For many in Kirkwood, it's finding simple comforts — like hot chocolate and cookies.

mmunz@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8263