Community raises £390,000 for girl, 6, killed in tragic house fire
The local community has gathered around the family of a 6-year-old girl, Rory DeCristoforo, who tragically died in a house fire on New Year's Day.
The fire started in her family's two-story home in Staten Island, with most of the family able to escape - except the youngest child. Since, the community has raised over $500,000 (£394,730) to support them. Rory was the youngest of four children and was described as a "dark-haired, blue-eyed beauty with a playful, loving spirit" in a GoFundMe campaign.
Her father, Mark DeCristoforo, is well-known in the community. He's the athletic director and head football coach at St. Peter's Boys High School. Many donations came from local businesses and youth sports teams, including the Snug Harbor Little League and Next Level Sports. Some generous donors even gave $5,000.
READ MORE: Devastated family of teen stab victim Harry Pitman say he was 'innocent hero'
(ABC7NY/Youtube)The fundraiser organizer, Robert Chi, wrote that Rory was "the lively baby of the family. She looked up to her three older siblings, Kali, Bubba, and Shane, and stole a piece of each of their hearts."
Newsboy’s Daily Double plus tips on every race from Monday’s three meetings
Mark's employer, the high school and its combined parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Peter-St. Paul and Assumption, have offered to cover Rory's funeral costs. John Fodera, the president of St. Peter's, shared this news with the Staten Island Advance.
"I can't fathom how a parent handles something like this. It's unimaginable," Fodera told the local paper. He also mentioned that the school plans to provide food for Mark's family in the upcoming weeks.
Staten Islanders have donated hundreds of thousands to a family who lost their six-year-old in a house fire (CitizenApp)Fodera has reassured Mark that the St. Peter's community will support him through anything he needs. "I've told Mark no matter what he needs or what he asks for, the St. Peter's community will be there for him," he stated. Mark began as a math teacher and later on became the varsity football coach.
He has filled this teaching role for a decade now, according to the Advance. Fodera was the one who hired Mark and saw him through his career. "He's played so many roles at St. Peter's and in every one of those roles he has truly made an impact on the school and on the kids," John told the publication.
"Kids flock around him and respect him highly for everything that he represents. He's a person who gains your respect the minute you speak to him." According to Mark's boss, the family lost their house in the fire, making it uninhabitable, and is now living with relatives.
The DeCristoforos had recently moved into the house to help care for Mark's ageing parents, who live with them. The house was being renovated to accommodate the large family permanently, according to Fodera. Less than two months ago, the family suffered another loss. Mark's mother, Jane, passed away at 80 on November 11, as reported by the Advance. The cause of the fatal fire is currently under investigation by the FDNY.
Neighbours told the New York Daily News that they saw firefighters break through a window into Rory's room and carry her out of the burning building down a ladder. "They carried her into the ambulance and were working on her. Then they took her away," Rick Benevento, 78, told the outlet.
He also witnessed her father's agony as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. "Mark came out in his shorts with his shoes off. He was on the ground pounding. Then he was on my lawn, just devastated," he said.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
