The Durango community didn’t just “Fill the Cop Car” on Thursday for victims of the Tercero Townhouse fire.
It filled two cop cars and a mobile command post with piles of household goods, toys, clothing and gift cards, said Cmdr. Bob Brammer of the Durango Police Department.
“It was an overwhelming expression of gratitude from the community to help these people out,” he said. “It far exceeded anybody’s expectation.”
About 20 other permanent residents lost their homes in the June 14 apartment fire in the 2100 block of West Third Avenue. Kevin Abeyta, 24, died in the fire after running back inside to save a mother and her two children. The woman and one child were seriously injured in the fire.
The items collected Thursday will be distributed to displaced families by the Southwest Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Several other events and funds have been established to help victims of the fire:
The Point radio station (92.9-FM) will host a fundraiser from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at JBar, 433 County Road 310, near Bondad, to help Abeyta’s husband, Tonny Del Solar, who also lost all of his belongings in the fire.A taco bar provided by his restaurant, Los Amigos Del Sur, will be available for $20 per plate. Drinks will be provided by Animas Brewing Co., Durango Brewing Co., A&L Coors, Coke and Zuberfizz. Royal Flesh and Badly Bent will provide music, and participants can bid on items in a silent auction.A GoFundMe site has been set up to help the family of Abeyta. To view the site, visit www.GoFundMe.com and search for “Kevin Abeyta.”Abeyta and Solar were co-owners of Los Amigos Del Sur, a Mexican restaurant that opened in April in the Main Mall, 835 Main Ave. A collection jar has been set out in the restaurant.A GoFundMe site has been set up for Hilda Picasso, the roommate of Abeyta and Del Solar, who lost all of her possessions in the fire and whose sister and nephews were injured in the fire. To view her site, search for “Home Fire Recovery Fund.”A GoFundMe site has been set up for the Madu family of four, who also lived in the townhomes. To view the site, search for “Madu Family.”Also, a GoFundMe site has been set up for Ira, one of the children injured in the fire. To view the site, search for “Ira’s Medical Fund.”
