Fundraising begins for playground to be built in the memory of five girls who died in a Butte area fire

PALMER — Fundraising has officially started for the Flores/Quackenbush Memorial Playground, set to be installed at Butte Elementary School. This new equipment will be put in place to honor the lives of the five girls who died during a fire at their family’s home in the Butte area Sept. 7, 2017.

“We’re just hoping to get the word out,” project coordinator Sally Beach said.

Alexis Quackenbush (12), Nevaeh Flores (8), Lillyanna Flores (7), Sofia Flores (6), and Jaelynn Flores (3) all lost their lives during the fire. Beach is captain of the Butte Emergency Medical Services. She was one of the first responders on the scene. Tears started forming in her eyes as she recounted the tragedy on Wickham Drive.

“We see a lot of stuff and this was the hardest call I’ve ever got,” Beach said. “It was absolutely devastating.”

Beach said that she started laying down the groundwork for the memorial playground a month after the fire. She said that she hopes this commemorative project will help provide some closure to the Butte community while honoring the five girls’ lives.

“I think this is a way we can heal our community,” Beach said.

Beach said that she is thrilled to finally be at the fundraising stage of this endeavor. The goal is to raise $150,000 to install new playground equipment. She said the playground was initially going to have its own spot, but it will ultimately be donated to Butte Elementary.

“They have the means to take care of it and it will be used every day,” Beach said.

The new playground equipment will include 10 musical instrument structures, two swinging airplanes, one slide set and a covered shelter area with four picnic tables, according to Beach. She said that since there is already equipment for the older kids, the new equipment will be geared mostly for the younger children. The new equipment will be installed adjacent to the existing playground. She said that the goal is to compete construction by fall to make it time for the waves of children coming back to school.

Beach said that four of the five girls attended Butte Elementary. She said that there will be some sort of memorial plaque, perhaps on a large rock or something along those lines but she hasn’t decided what yet. She said that she hopes the memorial playground will help bring something positive out of such tragedy and to support the girls’ parents Janelle Quackenbush and Jimmy Flores.

“To show Janelle and Jimmy we care and we won’t forget them. We don’t want to forget them,” Beach said.

Soon, several businesses around town will have collection jars for the project. Beach said that she is set to start asking the various companies around the Valley to set up a jar. She said that this heartbreaking story extended much farther than the Butte community and countless people across the Valley will surely sympathize with this cause.

“I don’t figure many would say no,” Beach said.

Beach said that a fundraising dinner event is currently in the works. She said it will likely take place sometime in April.

So far, 19 people over nine days have donated $1,160, according to the GoFundMe page. Anyone interested in making a donation can do so online by visiting www.gofundme.com/gtybuy-floresquackenbush-memorial-playground

Beach said there are currently six people on the committee and she is going to need help from anyone skilled in construction when the time comes to start building. Those interested in volunteering can email Beach at kshorselover@hotmail.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com