Brian Hagberg
SUGAR GROVE, Pa. – A little more than a month after Ben and Jennifer Chase suffered a “heart wrenching” loss, the Sugar Grove community came together to give the couple a “humbling” show of support.
A benefit fundraiser was held Saturday for Ben and Jennifer after the couple lost their home to a fire in late February. Though the event was scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m., people began arriving at approximately 9:30 a.m.
“This is just incredibly humbling that people would do this for us,” Ben Chase said. “I don’t honestly know the words to express our appreciation to everyone involved. The fire department community is just awesome, they have been nothing but supportive since we lost the house. We are so blessed to be a part of it”
The event was held at the Sugar Grove VFD. Ben became fire chief there in January.
“We wanted to do this for them,” Susan Johnson, the event’s organizer, said. “Ben is our captain of the fire department. These two would, and have, done anything and everything for people. It’s our way of giving back.”
The benefit included a bake sale, a Chinese Auction, a 50-50 raffle, a live auction, a gun raffle, and a spaghetti dinner.
Johnson said a number of the surrounding departments were willing to take on what would normally be Sugar Grove’s calls for the day in order to prevent the fundraiser from being interrupted.
“We have to thank all of the surrounding fire departments for stepping up and taking our calls today so we could do this,” Johnson said. “Just a huge thank you to everyone who donated time and dropped off items for the Chinese Auction. We are truly blessed to live in, and be a part of, a small town.”
Ben Chase said the support his family has received since the fire, where Ben was able to get Jennifer and their pets out of the home safely, has proven prophetic some words of wisdom he was given as a young man.
“My Grandma always said to me growing up, to be nice to everyone because someday you might need them,” Ben said. “Well she was right, when we needed everyone’s help, people have really stepped up.”
Steve Younger contributed to this report.
