Fundraiser benefits woman who lost her family in crash
EXETER TOWNSHIP >> There’s been an empty seat around the fire pit in Hunter Benfield’s backyard.
Hunter was buddies with Garhett Dawson, 17, who along with his dad, Bryan Dawson, 48, died Aug. 4 in a head-on crash while traveling to a vacation house in North Carolina.
Garhett’s sister, Kylie Dawson, 20, a junior at the University of Maryland, died Aug. 7 of injuries suffered in the crash. Only Melissa Dawson, 48, Garhett’s mother, survived.
The Dawsons were driving north on Highway 109 near Lexington, N.C., when the driver of a vehicle traveling the opposite way crossed into their lane, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
The community is still reeling from the news.
“It’s a whole group of boys who hang at our house,” said Hunter’s mom, Denise Benfield. “We call them the fire pit buddies.
“Now, every time they have a fire, they leave an empty seat for Garhett,” she said.
Denise Benfield was so moved by the Dawsons’ tragic story that she and Josh Nowotarski, owner of the Rita’s in Mount Penn, organized a fundraiser that ran pretty much all day Thursday, from noon to 10 p.m.
Denise Benfield said she felt helpless. The only thing she could do to soothe the aching sorrow she felt for Melissa Dawson was to pray and raise money for the grieving wife and mother.
“I’m hoping the money will give her the freedom to mourn her family the way she wants to,” Denise Benfield said.
John Wagner of Exeter said he knew the Dawsons, and that his children were very good friends with the family. Wagner was selling raffle tickets at the fundraiser at a folding table next to three long rows of tables stacked with prizes supporters could win for donations.
“All of the proceeds go to Melissa Dawson,” Wagner said. “To help her get through.”
Connor Gehman, an Exeter High School senior, said he didn’t know the Dawsons, but is friends with a family that did. He said he wanted to be a part of helping his neighbor in her time of need.
“It seems like all of Exeter has come out for her,” Gehman said.
In addition to door prizes, Nowotarski is donating a portion of proceeds from all Rita’s sales and gave Benfield the run of his ample parking lot. Rhoads Limousine, Douglassville, donated shuttle buses to bring supporters from a remote parking area to the fundraiser.
Jessica Yuhasz Wilhelm said she’s a member of the Exeter High Class of 2010. She now lives in Hamburg, but with the blessing of her boss, Todd Weikel, president of Weikel Sportswear, she set up a booth selling T-shirts to help with the Dawson benefit.
Tammy Morelli said her son John Morelli played lacrosse with Garhett Dawson.
“There’s this picture from their prom of the group of guys who played lacrosse, and Garhett is in the picture,” Tammy Morelli said. “My heart is broken. I want to do whatever I can for her (Melissa Dawson).
“There are no words.”
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Josh Nowotarski, owner of the Mount Penn Rita’s, with Denise Benfield, co-organizer for the fundraiser for Melissa Dawson.