Tony, Marie, and Lyric the pup need your help!

Hello! We are Renee Crews, Arlene Wlazlo, Kathie Gudauskas, and Kristina Niziolek. We are fundraising on behalf of both caring neighbors on Holly Court in Orland Park, IL and the family of Marie and Tony.

It was a night that started out like any other... until it wasn't. An electrical fire started in an outlet at 3:30am. Hearing smoke detectors, Marie ran out the back door and Tony, having been injured in a car accident three weeks prior, crawled out the front of the house... literally minutes before the fire consumed their home. They called this house home for 28 years and raised their two sons, Nick and Vince there. Thankfully, Lyric, their dog, was saved. Sadly, Nick’s cats Nacho and Cat, as well as Pete the turtle perished in the blaze.

On a frigid February morning, they watched every single thing they own, including their car, burn in front of their eyes.

Tony and Marie narrowly escaped their home with just the clothes on their back. (Tony's crutches didn't even make their way out the door.) Although the loss of their home, personal belongings, and family heirlooms is devastating, the financial burden is unimaginable.

It's in moments like this that we have a choice. We can feel sorry for people and leave it there, or we can give them a hand up. We hope you choose the latter. Whatever is on your heart. $5 for a pair of socks, $50 for some dog food, $100 for some clothes, $150 for groceries, Whatever you are able to give would be greatly appreciated.

We can't replace what is gone, but we can have a stake in rebuilding it. We hope you will consider being a part of this.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!

Sincerely,

The Holly Court Clan & Gudauskas Family

(Click here for news footage that shows the extent of damage.)