Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Community mourns boy’s death
EAST COVENTRY » Community members have rallied around the family of the young boy who died in a fire while he was asleep in his bed Sunday morning.
Their efforts have so far raised over $15,000 for the family.
The Chester County Coroner’s Office confirmed Tuesday that 9-year-old Evan T. St.Clair died of smoke, soot and super-heated gas inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning during the early-morning fire, which broke out inside the family’s home along the first
block of Buckwalter Road.
Evan’s funeral services are scheduled for Sunday, July 2, at the Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 N. Sunnybrook Road, Lower Pottsgrove, from 4-7 p.m. The funeral service will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. His casket will be closed on Sunday. There will be no viewing.
To help pay for the service and related costs, two fundraising campaigns have launched and have collected more than $15,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. The first campaign, which began Monday, was well on its way toward reaching its $10,000 fundraising goal having raise over $9,300. The campaign was started by Danielle Yusko of Gilbertsville.
“Evan could put a smile on anyone’s face and I will always remember him, smiling,” she wrote. “We would like to take the financial burden off of Evan’s families for the funeral/memorial expenses as well as help them to start over. I am at a loss for words as these families will need to soldier on after losing their home and all of its contents as well as their family members. All I can say is, these beautiful people need our help as life is precious. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts, help, and prayers.”
To contribute to the campaign, visit https://www.gofundme.com/please-help-uslay-evan-to-rest
The second campaign, which launched Tuesday, raised over $5,000 toward its $10,000 goal. The campaign was started by Dawn Major Zelinske of Pottstown.
“Our Evan was all-boy — loving Legos, Nerf guns, camo, and playing with his friends. Yet he was kind and sweet and quick to say, ‘I love you,’” she wrote. “Many are asking what they can do to help. As a community, we can help by taking the financial burden of funeral expenses off of the St.Clair and Shaner families. None of us expects to have to bury our child. All donations are greatly appreciated to help offset these unexpected costs. The St.Clair and Shaner families thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.”
To contribute to this campaign, visit https://www.gofundme.com/EvanSt-Clair
Meanwhile, the students in Alison Kulp’s fourthgrade class at North Coventry Elementary School created a slideshow presentation online in Evan’s memory featuring photos of him. To view the presentation visit http://bit. ly/2thA7lv
The school district also has a link on its website for helping children deal with loss. Additionally, there is a link to sign up to provide a meal to the family.
Susan Lloyd, principal at North Coventry Elementary, took to Twitter to react to the tragic news of Evan’s death.
“The students, parents and staff of North Coventry Elementary wish to express our deepest sympathy to his family,” she wrote. “Our hearts are broken by the loss of our student and friend.”
Evan’s parents, Tracey Shaner and Greg St.Clair, and their respective spouses, Daniel Shaner and Lissa St.Clair, thanked the community members for their support.
“We’d like to thank everyone for their generosity, kindness and support,” they said. “There’s no words to say how great it makes you feel as a parent to see the impact your child has on everyone else. He just made friends wherever he went.”
They thanked the Cattermole-Klotzbach Funeral Home in Royersford for its support, generosity with the cost and help in preparations. They also thanked Lloyd and North Coventry Elementary along with the first responders who were at the scene of the blaze.
“We’re devastated and having such amazing people surrounding us in this time has been a blessing,” the parents said. “Everyone has just been so supportive, kind and generous. We just want them to know we appreciate it and can’t thank them enough.”