WILMINGTON, Ohio — Following a tragic Clinton County house fire, neighbors and surrounding businesses are coming together to organize fundraisers for the surviving family.
Firefighters were dispatched to a fire in the 100 block of Main Street in Clarksville at around 6:40 a.m. Tuesday, according to a Clinton County official. It left a mother and her five children dead, and the father hospitalized.
Melissa Ryan, vice president of Dropout Restaurants, said the decision to host fundraisers for the family came quickly after she and the owner learned of the tragedy.
WATCH: Here's how to help the family impacted by a deadly Clinton County house fire
"We're able to help. We're in a position that we can help. So we want to help," Ryan said.
The group operates four restaurants in Wilmington, which is about 10 miles northeast of Clarksville. Between Monday and Thursday next week, each day, a different restaurant will donate 10% of its sales directly to the family:
- Monday, March 9: General Denver Hotel & Restaurant
- Tuesday, March 10: The Capricorn Inn
- Wednesday, March 11: 73 Grill
- Thursday, March 12: Black Bird Restaurant
Ryan said the loss has been felt widely in the tight-knit community.
"It affected everybody, whether you knew them or not. It affected you," Ryan said. "It's shocking. It shakes you to your core that you can lose everything overnight."
Another Wilmington business, Salon 92, will host a fundraiser on Sunday.
"This Sunday at Salon 92, I will be donating 100% of my sales directly to (the father) to support him during this unimaginable time," salon owner Ashlee Irwin wrote in a Facebook post. "I will also have a tip jar at my station, and every dollar collected there will go directly to him as well."
You can book an appointment for this Sunday here.
If you know of any additional resources to support the family, you can contact Connor here:
Chris Walls, owner of For the Love of Ink, Tattoos and Body Piercing in Wilmington, is also planning a fundraiser. He has not yet set a date, but said it will take place sometime in the coming weeks.
Walls said the loss hit close to home as a father to 10 children who previously lost his home to a fire.
"I know that when we lost our home to fire, everybody rallied," Walls said. "Everybody came together. It was amazing."
He said 100% of the tattoo shop's sales on the day of the fundraiser will be donated to the benefit fund set up for the family. Each tattoo purchased that day, he said, will be selected from flash sheets and come at a set price.
"We are completely transparent," he said. "So if the family wants to have somebody here, or the family wants to be here, or anything like that, they're welcome."
An official GoFundMe page has been started to support the sole survivor of the fire. Anyone wanting to donate can also contact any regional Fifth Third Bank and ask to donate to the Tommy Allen Benefit Fund.
Walls said the community's rapid response did not surprise him.
"We're a big family," Walls said. "It's nice to see people come together, but there's nothing good about this."
We also spoke with Clarksville Mayor Nonia Wood on Wednesday. She said the village will also be involved in fundraisers for the family, with more details expected in the coming days.
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