Bakersfield’s Tips for Chips Fundraiser Tops $590,000 in Lifetime Support for CHP Families

BAKERSFIELD — November 7, 2026. Bakersfield’s annual Tips for Chips fundraiser has now raised more than $590,000 over its history for the California Highway Patrol Widows and Orphans Trust Fund, according to 23ABC reporting. The most recent event contributed more than $58,000.

How the fundraiser began

Shannon Ehly helped establish the gathering after her husband, CHP Officer Mark Ehly, died in 2010. West Side Rotary’s Jim Darling suggested a way to honor him by bringing CHP officers into a restaurant setting to serve meals and collect tips for charity. Ehly wanted proceeds to benefit a fund that had helped her own family.

What the money supports

The Widows and Orphans Trust Fund provides assistance to surviving relatives of qualifying CHP members. Events such as Tips for Chips also give the public an opportunity to interact with highway patrol officers and local volunteers outside everyday emergency situations.

Two different totals

The more than $590,000 is cumulative, not the amount donated in one year. The $58,000 figure refers to the most recent gathering. Both figures are reported fundraising totals, not an independent audit performed by California58. Anyone who wishes to contribute should use the fund’s verified official information and avoid unsolicited donation links.

Source: 23ABC / KERO, October–November 2026.

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