Help Eric Radke Recover from Home Lost to Forest Fire

Sunday, May 11 (Mothers Day) will always be seared in the memory of Eric Radke and his wife. A retired couple living in the beautiful pine country of NE Minnesota, they smelled smoke. An unattended campfire had sparked a forest fire in the area. The "Camp House" fire soon raged across thousands of acres. Eric snapped the above photo just before they evacuated their home.

"We we lost everything," Eric told me. "We left with literally the clothes on our backs. I am covered for the house but will be underinsured for all my stuff beyond the house. You really do not expect something like this. So much history is gone. We're now living out of hotels and our car. Our first move was to go to Duluth and buy a computer and clothes...."

I'm Will Weaver, a high school classmate of Eric. I've created this fund raiser to help Eric and his wife get back on their feet. Eric is a modest, Minnesota guy. To well-wishers on Facebook, he replied, "It's enough to know people care." But I've been in touch with Eric, have seen photos of his losses, and he could use some help.

The main use of your donation will be to help cover the nearly $4K home insurance deductible. This has increased for all of us; Eric is no exception. Beyond that, to live in rural Minnesota requires an infrastructure: tools, sheds, plows, snowmobile, chainsaws, gardening equipment. If you're a homeowner, and have a garage, imagine all the things in it that you depend on. For the Radkes, all these things will need replacing.

The Camp House fire consumed nearly 15,000 acres, and upended many lives–include the Radkes. A small bump from a lot of people can make a huge difference! I hope you'll join me in helping Eric and his wife rebuild their lives.