The Sixth Ward Athletic Club is rallying support for its head bartender after her house burned down Sunday, July 12.
According to a Monday, July 13 Facebook post by the organization, “everyone made it out safely,” but the family “lost everything to a devastating house fire.” The group announced two fundraisers to support the family of Teresann Campell.
The group said it would collect clothing and essentials noon to 5 p.m. Friday, July 17. The following Friday, July 24, the group is planning to host a benefit pasta dinner and raffle from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The comments on the post were filled with people volunteering to donate supplies and money to the family.
The Oneonta Professional Firefighters Local 2408, the union for city firefighters, stated in a Facebook post that on-duty crew members arrived to find the house at 10 Luther St. with heavy fire showing.
“The building’s balloon-frame construction allowed the fire to race through concealed wall spaces, rapidly spreading from floor to floor,” the post stated. The operation included protecting neighboring structures from damage.
“Bringing this fire under control required multiple master streams from engines and two ladder trucks, along with seven off-duty Oneonta firefighters and numerous mutual aid departments,” the post stated.
By Tuesday afternoon, the structure was no longer standing; a pile of rubble was in its place. A vehicle in the driveway appeared to have been damaged and scalded by the flames. Neighboring homes did not appear to have fire damage.
Oneonta Fire Chief Brian Knapp did not return request for comment Tuesday on additional details, such as what caused the fire and when it stopped burning.
Donations sought
“If you’ve ever stopped into our bar, there’s a very good chance you’ve met our head bartender, Teresann,” the Sixth Ward Athletic Club’s post stated. “For years, TA has been the true backbone behind the bar for us — always the first one to step up and help out, and always with a smile on her face.”
“We all know TA would be the absolute first person to dive in and help someone else in this situation,” the post continued. “Now, it’s our turn to show her what the Sixth Ward Athletic Club and our amazing local community are all about.”
The post stated that all donations would be accepted, and if not needed would be donated elsewhere. The club requested toys, monetary donations and specific clothing items for the July 17 collection, including:
Granddaughter 1: Size 4–5 pants and shirts, size 4-5 shoesGranddaughter 2: Size 5–6 pants, size 5T shirts, size 5–6 shoesGranddaughter 3: Size 12–14 pants and shirts, size 1 shoes
Tickets for the pasta dinner July 24 will be $12, the post stated.
To learn more and follow updates on how to assist the family, search “6th Ward Athletic Club” on Facebook.