Fundraiser, support grows to help survivors of devastating Fairmount rowhome fire

PHILADELPHIA - Coach Andre Wright, co-founder of Give and Go Athetlics, lights up when he talks about Quintien Tate-McDonald and Destiny McDonald, his former players.

However, he calls his work a double-edged sword. This type of bond is why he does what he does, but when tragedy strikes, it's almost unbearable.

"When you deal with loss it really hurts, especially when you build a relationship with these kids," Wright said.

The siblings were among the eight children killed in the devastating rowhome fire in Farimoutn on Wednesday. They participated in Give and Go Athletics' camps and after-school programs at Bache-Martin Elementary School.

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"Destiny was just like a beacon of light, you know, to see her smile it was really contagious, she smiled and you had no choice but to smile," Wright said.

"When you met Quintien, he had a way of shining his light on you. He always had something positive going for him, whether it was in our program, our mentoring program, picking up part-time jobs."

Quintien was also a beloved 11th grader at Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter School, according to the school's CEO, who described him as a "bright light in our school".

They postponed their keystone testing for this week and are providing grief counseling.

The School District of Philadelphia deployed their crisis counseling team to Bache-Martin Elementary School for staff and students, who are currently learning remotely this week due to COVID-19 related issues.

Monica Lewis, a district spokesperson, says two of the children killed in the fire are current students at the elementary school and three were former students.

"The teachers, the administrators here, they are just as heartbroken as the children are so we will have the necessary resources in place for anyone who needs to deal with what is going on right now and we will do so as long as they need that support.," Lewis said.

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia teamed up with City Council President Darrell Clarke to set up a fund to assist the families impacted.

Children First PA also started an online fundraiser. As of as early as noon on Thursday, they had more than 600 donors, some from across the country, totaling more than $42,000.

Fairmount Fire Scene (@KeelyFOX29)

"We just felt like we had to do something," says Donna Cooper, Executive Director. "There’s expenses to rebuild and there’s day-to-day, 'what’s my winter coat going to be?' whether it’s the parents or children who have survived, So, this is one of those places where money can solve a problem, it also teaches us that we still have so much more to do to make children and our families safe in our housing, not just in Philadelphia."

A GoFundMe Page has been established to assist the parents/grandparents with final arrangements. The online fundraiser says leftover donations will go to resources for the two survivors.

Give and Go Athletics coaches provide lunch and recess programs for students at Bache-Martin. Wright says they are hoping they can grow that program, in addition to their out-of-school programs, knowing the community will especially need the support moving forward.

"We’re going to try to provide some support and relief to everyone involved so we can heal as a community." he says.

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