I am launching this fund on behalf of my brother, Mark McIntosh, and his young family. Today they awoke to news of a fire. His family has been working to launch their dream business - 5 vacation rental cabins above Flathead Lake, Montana. After investing their life savings, working around the clock, and making countless sacrifices to meet their construction deadline of June, the cabin they intended to live in on the property burned down this morning.

In this cabin, Mark had been staining tongue-and-groove pine to go up on the interior. The fire chief believes the rags with the stain spontaneously combusted. The structure is a complete loss.

What makes this even more devastating is there is no insurance to fall back on. Their original policy was only good for a year and their insurance carrier would not offer an extension until construction was completed. They had been calling around in hopes of finding a new carrier, but no one would cover the project at this stage. As a result, this is a $125,000 loss.

My brother and his wife, Marisa, are a strong and determined couple whose hearts and generous spirits have touched so many lives. I hope that those who have received their love and generosity are in a place where they can bestow the same on them.

When Mark returned from the site today, his three-year-old daughter gave him a hug and said in her cherub voice, “Daddy, I’m sorry the house burned.”

We’re all so sorry this happened! As they strive to show their children how to handle loss and persevere through setbacks, please consider giving them a hand up.