Kopec Family Fire Relief Fund
Donation protected
On September 4th my fiancé Rachael’s family’s home in Niskayuna was struck by lightning and caught on fire. Thankfully everyone, including their two
small dogs made it out unscathed. However the house could not be saved. The interior of the home was destroyed, and the house has been ruled unlivable due to severe fire, smoke and water damage. The entire house has to be gutted and essentially rebuilt from the inside. My future mother-in-law Debbie, sister-in-law Rebecca and two dogs are now living in a hotel with only the clothes they had on that day and very limited necessities.
Debbie is a cancer survivor, was an employee of St. Clare’s Hospital in Schenectady for over 40 years, and was one of thousands of employees who had their pensions taken from them when the company went bankrupt. Her late husband Garry, who passed away suddenly over 20 years ago, was a U.S. Military Veteran and worked as a security supervisor for Knolls Atomic for over 20 years. Although I never had the honor of meeting him, everyone who knew him tells me was an amazing man, husband and father, and treated everyone with respect. He is greatly missed that is for certain. Everything that she kept of his was lost. Her wedding rings, and dress were lost. Hundreds of family photos went up in flames. Precious moments, some of the only memories they have to look back on as a family gone forever. Rachael tells me stories all the time about after her father died how her mother absolutely refused to let their lives remain anything but normal. She’s a consummate mother, who raised two fantastic daughters. Even to this very moment, all she is concerned with is helping Rachael and I plan our wedding. She’s more concerned with what we’re going to do for the holiday season than she is with dealing with the matter at hand. She’s treated me like a son since the very first time she met me, and is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever known.
I can tell you right now, you’ll never meet a more loving, prideful woman and her daughters are no different. In fact, I might get yelled at for doing this! They would never ask for help no matter what the circumstances were. However, sometimes tragedies like this are just too much for one family to endure by themselves. I’m asking all of you to find it in your hearts to do whatever you can to help. Unfortunately there are some things that insurance just doesn’t cover. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart!
small dogs made it out unscathed. However the house could not be saved. The interior of the home was destroyed, and the house has been ruled unlivable due to severe fire, smoke and water damage. The entire house has to be gutted and essentially rebuilt from the inside. My future mother-in-law Debbie, sister-in-law Rebecca and two dogs are now living in a hotel with only the clothes they had on that day and very limited necessities.
Debbie is a cancer survivor, was an employee of St. Clare’s Hospital in Schenectady for over 40 years, and was one of thousands of employees who had their pensions taken from them when the company went bankrupt. Her late husband Garry, who passed away suddenly over 20 years ago, was a U.S. Military Veteran and worked as a security supervisor for Knolls Atomic for over 20 years. Although I never had the honor of meeting him, everyone who knew him tells me was an amazing man, husband and father, and treated everyone with respect. He is greatly missed that is for certain. Everything that she kept of his was lost. Her wedding rings, and dress were lost. Hundreds of family photos went up in flames. Precious moments, some of the only memories they have to look back on as a family gone forever. Rachael tells me stories all the time about after her father died how her mother absolutely refused to let their lives remain anything but normal. She’s a consummate mother, who raised two fantastic daughters. Even to this very moment, all she is concerned with is helping Rachael and I plan our wedding. She’s more concerned with what we’re going to do for the holiday season than she is with dealing with the matter at hand. She’s treated me like a son since the very first time she met me, and is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever known.
I can tell you right now, you’ll never meet a more loving, prideful woman and her daughters are no different. In fact, I might get yelled at for doing this! They would never ask for help no matter what the circumstances were. However, sometimes tragedies like this are just too much for one family to endure by themselves. I’m asking all of you to find it in your hearts to do whatever you can to help. Unfortunately there are some things that insurance just doesn’t cover. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart!
Fundraising team: Team Kopec (3)
Joshua Cote
Organizer
Clifton Park, NY
Rachael Kopec
Team member
Valerie Cote
Team member
