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Fundraiser held for couple who lost home

More than $2,000 was raised at a fundraiser held on Sunday, March 23, at YMCA Camp Jewell, aiding two Colebrook residents in rebuilding their home which burned down in late January of this year. Marsha Lawton and Bill McCarthy lost their home in a blaze caused by undetermined electrical issues.The house was deemed a total loss by the fire marshal.More than 200 people attended the event held at Camp Jewell. The proceeds will go towards rebuilding the home that Lawton owned. “I’m a little overwhelmed,” Lawton said, who lived in the home for 30 years. “I’m very grateful. It’s an amazing town.”Lawton said that she is hoping to rebuild her home, but she will have to wait until the insurance claims go through in May. Event organizer Kim Janak said she only expected to make approximately $1,200, but the donations continue to pour in following the fundraiser. “I have goosebumps because people keep donating,” Susan Read said. Read is a friend who collected money at the door for the event and managed the finances. Read also housed Lawton and McCarthy in her home for the months following the blaze. The event was only expected to be attended by approximately 125 people according to Janak, who organized the majority of the event along with the aid of 24 volunteers and numerous contributions by local businesses. Most people in attendance knew Lawton because she watched their children. “She used to babysit for us. We’ve known her as long we’ve lived in Colebrook,” resident Phillip Williams said. Many in the community said they felt obligated to help the woman who had taken care of their families for so long. A family even drove up from Delaware to support their friends. “She has been my second mom since seventh grade,” Carissa Gomez said. “I came up to support my family.” Gomez said that there was no question in her mind to drive the 300 miles from Delaware when she heard about the event on Thursday. Another family friend, Chris Marolda provided entertainment for the event. He sung to the packed dining area, stopping only once to grab a bite to eat from the buffet provided by donations from local businesses. Although Marolda said he hadn’t seen Lawton or McCarthy for more than five years, when asked to perform at the fundraiser he immediately agreed. “I’ve known Bill and Marsha since before I was born,” Marolda said. Ray Zeyte, executive director at Camp Jewell said that a volunteer flagged down the camp’s office administrator to ask for space at the camp. “For camp our focus is to serve the community,” Zeyte said. “This type of event was a quintessential event for community support. We are very excited to be the place where all of these people could convene.”The family was touched by the event. “People I’ve never even met are stepping up,” Lawton said. “I want people to enjoy themselves. I don’t want it to be about us.”

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