Family thanks community for generous support
An online fundraiser for Darlene Hall, a longtime valley resident whose Winthrop residence burned to the ground on Dec. 13, has collected nearly $40,000 as of Tuesday (Dec. 21), about a week after it was launched.
“I wish to thank all of the people in our wonderful valley, and our wonderful firefighters for confronting the weather and for all their help putting my fire out,” Hall said in a letter to the Methow Valley News (read the full letter on page A4.)
According to Okanogan County Fire District 6 and Hall’s family, the fire at Hall’s residence, a travel trailer on property belonging to her family on Northcott Road in Winthrop, was reported at about 2:20 p.m. on Dec. 13. One person was on the property and tried to save two of Hall’s three dogs, which were inside the trailer, but was unsuccessful. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters responded in the midst of a snowstorm, and extinguished the fire before it was able to ignite a nearby garage, but the trailer was a total loss.
Hall’s granddaughter Kyla Roberts told the Methow Valley News last week that her grandmother was “devastated” by the loss of the two dogs as well as most of her property and Christmas presents. Hall was at work at the time, at Ace Hardware in Winthrop, and only had the possessions she carried and her car, Roberts said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Fire District 6.
Roberts has set up a fundraiser for Hall at www.gofundme.com/f/help-darlene-recover-from-fire.
“She feels bad because she’s the type of person to help others,” Roberts said last week. “She would never ask for help herself.”
In the first few hours of the online fundraiser, donations already exceeded $3,500. A week later, donations stood at $38,345, with individual donations ranging from $25 to $1,000.
