NFL players vow to support orphaned baby

Just days after her father took his life and that of her mother, Zoey Michelle Belcher -- still too small and innocent to understand it all -- was the recipient of the best news the orphaned 3-month-old girl could possibly hope for: The Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL Players Association will provide for her into adulthood.

Zoey’s mother and father were remembered Thursday in separate services hundreds of miles apart. The Missouri memorial for Jovan Belcher, a powerful football player for the Chiefs, was attended by NFL players and his team’s personnel, including Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli, who witnessed the athlete put a gun to his head and pull the trigger. Belcher's funeral will reportedly be in New York this weekend.

One of Belcher’s last requests was that Pioli and Chiefs Owner Clark Hunt take care of his baby girl, according to HLN affiliate KCTV.

To that end, the Kansas City Chiefs announced Friday the formation of the Zoey Michelle Belcher Irrevocable Trust.

 “The Chiefs family is focused on helping 3-month-old Zoey Michelle Belcher as she faces the challenge of growing up without the support of her parents,”  Hunt said in a statement. “Zoey will always be a part of the Chiefs family, and we hope that this trust will help to ensure she has the resources necessary as she grows up.”

In an unprecedented show of support, the NFL Players Association will also support the child financially.

Zoey, who will most likely be raised by her grandparents, will receive $109,000 annually for the next four years, which breaks down to $9,000 per month, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Thanks to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement -- which was painstakenly agreed upon this past summer by NFL players and owners -- in the fifth year Zoey will receive $48,000, then $52,000 each year until she turns 18. The payments will continue until she’s 23 if she goes to college, according to Rapoport.

The family issued a statement Friday, thanking the players “for their generosity and kindness.”

"We appreciate all of the heartfelt concern and sincere thoughtfulness we have received during this surreal time. We would especially like to thank the NFL Players Association,” the family said. "In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to benefit [Kasandra's] daughter, Zoey."

Read more: Belcher's mother frantic during 911 call

Belcher took his life Saturday morning in a parking lot near Arrowhead Stadium as officers descended on him, a police spokesman told reporters. The police spokesman said Belcher thanked Crennel and Pioli before fatally shooting himself.

Perkins' funeral, featuring a white casket and lilies, was Thursday about 40 miles north of Dallas, Texas, according to Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home. Another service is planned this weekend in the state.

"She was the quintessential happy person," her great-uncle, Ted Downing told an HLN news affiliate KSHB. "It's hard to not picture Kasi smiling."