Colony students respond following fires

PALMER — Eva Stanfield clutched her folded coat in her arms and stared with a smile at a group of Colony High School students Thursday. The group stood in the lobby of Palmer Jr./Middle School where two of Stanfield’s three children attend classes.

In the Colony students’ hands was an oversized check for the amount of $2,104.20, all of it for Stanfield and her family.

Behind Stanfield’s smiling face and neatly folded coat is a Palmer resident who recently lost everything.

A fire nearly two weeks ago destroyed the Stanfield home, which is in a hard-to-reach location on Lazy Mountain.

No one was hurt in the fire — although two cats are still unaccounted for — but along with the house, almost everything the Stanfields owned went up in smoke.

When news of the blaze hit a group of students at Colony, who were reeling from one of their own being the victim of a fire, a plan was formed to raise money to help the Stanfields.

At first, the money was meant to be split between the Colony student’s family and the Stanfields. But the other family declined, saying it didn’t need the money and to donate it all to Stanfield and her family.

That led to Thursday’s scene in the lobby of Palmer Middle School.

Brenna Gebhardt, a senior at Colony and one of the students who helped raise the money, said after hearing about the fire and devastation she knew something had to be done.

Gebhardt said it feels good to do something for others, especially around Christmas, and figures helping one family will eventually benefit the community.

Stanfield said she was “astonished” when she heard of the students’ donation, something she said wasn’t solicited.

“I didn’t even have to ask for anything,” she said.

Stanfield said the money will go toward rent while the family awaits the rebuilding of its house this spring.

The family is also getting help from Palmer Jr./Middle School, where Bradley and Holly Stanfield, grades eight and six respectively, attend.

Principal Gene Stone said the school has raised about $450, along with collecting clothes and food for the family.

But Stanfield said the gifts from both places have big meaning, especially so close to the holidays.

Falling back on an old axiom about giving, Stanfield said the help of strangers won’t soon be forgotten. “What goes around comes around.”

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.