Back to the Real Salt Lake Newsfeed

Vandalized Salt Lake City Buddhist shrine will be repaired, thanks to donations

The owner of a vandalized neighborhood Buddhist shrine in Sugar House says that well-wishers have provided the cash needed to repair the damage.

Ben Dieterle, a Zen Buddhist, said 110 people had responded to his GoFundMe site, contributing $3,005 as of early Thursday afternoon.

That’s $5 more than estimated for restoring the 300-pound Buddha head, which had been the focal point of the ornate, wooden front yard “Buddha on 9th” shrine at 1917 S. 900 East.

In a Facebook post, Dieterle thanked donors, promising that 100 percent of the funds will go toward replacing the head with one made of “vandalism-resistant materials and .