Megan McPaul and Baby fund
Donation protected
On the evening of Monday 30 December 2019, volunteer firefighter Samuel McPaul, a member of Morven Rural Fire Brigade, was tragically killed while on duty at the Green Valley fireground east of Albury NSW.
Whilst on the fireground, the fire truck that Samuel and crew were operating from was involved in a rollover caused by a "fire tornado" - extreme winds associated with the fire, resulting in the terrible loss of Samuel
This is a devastating loss to Samuel’s family and his broader NSW RFS family. Samuel was a young man (28 years old) with his whole future ahead of him. He leaves behind a loving wife, Megan, who is pregnant with their first child, due in May. The young couple were in the midst of preparations to welcome their baby and Megan is now facing parenthood without Samuel.
He attended school at Broulee on the NSW south coast and studied animal science at Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga. He was also a basketball coach in Holbrook and worked as a mechanic. A spokesman for the NSW Rural Fire Service said McPaul “did everything for the right reasons” and always put the community first.
He is the third Rural Fire Service volunteer to die so far this fire season. Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, died when a tree hit their tanker while they were fighting a fire at Balmoral, south-west of Sydney, on 19 December.
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A friend in Scotland asked me what he could do to help with our bushfire crisis here in Australia. I went searching through Go Fund Me Campaigns to send him some links.
I was sad to find that no one had started a campaign to raise money for SamuelMcPauls young bride Megan and soon to arrive baby. A couple have been set up for the other 2 brave men that died before Samuel raising almost half a million dollars so far. But Samuel and his family seem to have somehow been missed.
I don't know Samuel or his wife, but I was truly sad to think that she seeemed to have been forgotten. Of course the RFS have an account set up into which people can donate, but they do for the other lads as well. But these accounts don't have the public face that GoFund Me does. I felt bad that it was so visible for the other boys and their families but not for Samuel and Megan. So I decided to start one for them.
I have spoken to the RFS and sadly they are unable to officially endorse any GoFund Me campaign, however it was suggested that I can state that funds raised here will be made payable to Megan McPaul via the RFS. That has been arranged. I have no access to these funds- they can only be withdrawn by the RFS and will be directly paid into the account they have on behalf of Megan.
You will also find a link to the RFS account donation page at the bottom of this story.
So here it is. Hopefully it will reach and exceed the target - I'll leave it here until April, just before her baby is due, after which I will close it and and the RFS will withdraw the funds for her, which I am sure she will put to good use with a new baby.
The RFS has also opened a Bank account for donations.
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/general-news/featured/support-for-firefighter-families#SamuelMcPaul
Whilst on the fireground, the fire truck that Samuel and crew were operating from was involved in a rollover caused by a "fire tornado" - extreme winds associated with the fire, resulting in the terrible loss of Samuel
This is a devastating loss to Samuel’s family and his broader NSW RFS family. Samuel was a young man (28 years old) with his whole future ahead of him. He leaves behind a loving wife, Megan, who is pregnant with their first child, due in May. The young couple were in the midst of preparations to welcome their baby and Megan is now facing parenthood without Samuel.
He attended school at Broulee on the NSW south coast and studied animal science at Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga. He was also a basketball coach in Holbrook and worked as a mechanic. A spokesman for the NSW Rural Fire Service said McPaul “did everything for the right reasons” and always put the community first.
He is the third Rural Fire Service volunteer to die so far this fire season. Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O’Dwyer, 36, died when a tree hit their tanker while they were fighting a fire at Balmoral, south-west of Sydney, on 19 December.
*****************
A friend in Scotland asked me what he could do to help with our bushfire crisis here in Australia. I went searching through Go Fund Me Campaigns to send him some links.
I was sad to find that no one had started a campaign to raise money for SamuelMcPauls young bride Megan and soon to arrive baby. A couple have been set up for the other 2 brave men that died before Samuel raising almost half a million dollars so far. But Samuel and his family seem to have somehow been missed.
I don't know Samuel or his wife, but I was truly sad to think that she seeemed to have been forgotten. Of course the RFS have an account set up into which people can donate, but they do for the other lads as well. But these accounts don't have the public face that GoFund Me does. I felt bad that it was so visible for the other boys and their families but not for Samuel and Megan. So I decided to start one for them.
I have spoken to the RFS and sadly they are unable to officially endorse any GoFund Me campaign, however it was suggested that I can state that funds raised here will be made payable to Megan McPaul via the RFS. That has been arranged. I have no access to these funds- they can only be withdrawn by the RFS and will be directly paid into the account they have on behalf of Megan.
You will also find a link to the RFS account donation page at the bottom of this story.
So here it is. Hopefully it will reach and exceed the target - I'll leave it here until April, just before her baby is due, after which I will close it and and the RFS will withdraw the funds for her, which I am sure she will put to good use with a new baby.
The RFS has also opened a Bank account for donations.
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/general-news/featured/support-for-firefighter-families#SamuelMcPaul
Organizer and beneficiary
Narelle Levitt
Organizer
Punchbowl NSW
New South Wales Rural Fire Service
Beneficiary
