Hello,

Sadly, my sister, Valerie Sawyer, her husband Ed, and their sons Griffin and Theo experienced a very significant and devastating fire at their home on Tuesday, August 12. The fire mostly destroyed their garage and kitchen, but affected the entire home with water, smoke and heat damage. While they will eventually be able to move back into their home, they will need to stay in a hotel suite, and eventually a rental home, for possibly up to a year. The support they have received from their friends, family, co-workers and Dover community have been nothing short of amazing, and for that everyone is incredibly grateful. Many people have asked how they can continue to help.

Ed, my brother-in-law, and my nephew, Griffin, are avid cyclers. Their family, including Val and Theo, all had nice bicycles which were stored in the garage, and lost. Griffin returns to college next week, and I’d like to help their family by creating this fund to begin replacing their bicycles, as this activity gives their whole family joy, and we all know that joy is important right now.

I’ve created this GoFundMe site, but also (if you are not comfortable with GoFundMe) or Venmo me or send a check to me directly. You can contact me through this post or through messenger if you’d like my Venmo or home address.

Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Your generosity is so much appreciated as Valerie and her family navigate this challenge in their lives.