Years of hard work and plans for the future went up in smoke for Jesse Raycraft and his young family on March 11 when their house in northern Ontario burned to the ground.
Jesse is a graduate of Georgian Bay Community School (GBCS). He and his partner Haley Walsh, formerly of Owen Sound, and their two children Audry, 10, and Anin, 11 months, lost everything in a house fire on March 11 in Kenabeek in the Timiskaming District.
Jesse’s sister, Jayme Raycraft, also a graduate of GBCS, has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds to help her brother and his family rebuild.
“On Friday, March 11, after over a decade of creating a wonderful family home in Northern Ontario, my brother’s house burned down,” Jayme said. “We are all very grateful to say that all four family members, as well as their three dogs, safely made it out physically unharmed. They lost everything in the fire. From basics like clothing, wallets, and phones, to special interests such as instruments, art supplies, books, and movies, and the special keepsakes that honour their memories – all have been lost. They are currently safely sheltering at a friend’s house while they recover from this event.”
Jayme’s goal is to raise $75,000. “The intention of this fundraiser is to help them start rebuilding what was lost as soon as possible,” she said. “Funds raised will primarily go towards the cost of rebuilding their house, but will also be used to help replace personal items, home and kitchenwares, and generally help them with any expenses incurred during this extraordinarily challenging time.
“Any amount of money contributed will be an incredible help. Thank you to everyone for your support.”
To donate go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jesse-and-his-family-rebuild-their-home?fbclid=IwAR32bKSdHw6P-VxEK41bbg9ZcCdUpMcTBF3R0dAyN5zErvKvn4k2hrRi73g
