Support continues to grow
People across county assist Lukens family following fatal fire
SCHWENKSVILLE » More than a week after a fatal fire took the lives of two young boys, efforts to assist the family have not slowed down.
A GoFundMe created by Kyle Boelter, a friend of the Lukens family, has raised over $300,000 in the past week.
“I was inspired by the story of a homeless man who gave his last $20 to a woman who needed gas. I started notifying other friends in the Central Perkiomen Baseball Network. The intent there was not only to raise funds for them but to be a place for people to have some support, mobilize,” said Boelter.
The GoFundMe page has since been handed over to members of the Lukens family so that they, directly, are able to receive and manage the funds.
Boelter knows the Lukens family well, having been friends with them for about seven years. Boelter said his son and 11-year- old Bryan Jr., also known as LJ, were good friends and the fire devastated their family.
“My son and LJ were very good friends since the age of 5 when they were in kindergarten and they have played baseball together from that time. He was in his class,” said Boelter. “We got to know the family over the years through play dates etc. When the tragedy happened, my wife came upstairs and she was speechless. I read a text fromanother neighbor about LJ. I had to tell my son and he broke down immediately and my first reaction was what can I do to help,” said Boelter.
Boelter’s reaction stirred a major community response.
Boelter said he had several people reach out to him to see how they could help. He received emails from house flippers to ministries looking to lend a hand. Boelter said to keep the momentum going, they have shifted their focus to material items for the family.
Two ministries have reached out to assist the family including Socks & Souls in Telford, a ministry that provides necessary items to those in need, and Mitzvah Circle Foundation, an organization aimed at helping people in crisis with clothes and house-
wares. Individuals who are looking to help can donate clothes and other items to those organizations, which will go to help the family.
Schwenksville Elementary, where the Lukens children attended school, has notified the school community about funeral arrangements for the two boys and given guidelines for any child who will be absent to attend the funeral on that day. The school has also arranged for counselors from the Montgomery County Mo- bile Crisis team to be on hand in a separate room if children need relief during the service.
Visitation was held on Thursday, Dec. 21, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., again on Friday, Dec. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a service at noon on Friday, Dec. 22. Both were held at the Cornerstone Church of Skippack, located at 1326 Stump Hall Road in Skippack.