More than $20,000 raised for Amish family in Centre County after tragic farming accidents
More than $20,000 has been raised for an Amish family in Potter Township that suffered multiple tragedies — the deaths of a father and three teenage sons — in two separate farming accidents earlier this year.
A GoFundMe campaign that started last month and ended Monday raised $22,000, or $2,000 over its stated goal. The funds from 143 donors will go toward widow Esther Beiler and her six remaining children, four of whom remain at home.
The fundraising campaign was launched by Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County, on behalf of its Happy Valley Agventures initiative.
“The outpouring of support for the GoFundMe campaign reflects how much our Amish neighbors are valued, and how quickly and compassionately our community responds when there is a need,” CBICC President and CEO Greg Scott said in a written statement. “Our organizations thank everyone who donated to the campaign.”
The Beiler family first suffered tragedy in March, when a 16-year-old son died after he was trapped under a piece of farming equipment that weighed upward of 10 tons. Then, in September, 47-year-old father Andrew Beiler and two more sons — a 19-year-old and 14-year-old — died of asphyxiation after they became trapped in a 70-foot-tall silo that was likely filled with carbon dioxide.
The GoFundMe campaign began with $5,000 in seed money to assist Esther. Donations ranged from as little as $10 to as much as $2,000.
“The HVAB and The Chamber are touched by the generosity of the local residents and businesses that joined us in lifting up a farming family facing such a tremendous loss,” HVAB President and CEO Fritz Smith said. “We hope the money raised will be a blessing for Esther and her children as they continue to cope with the loss of their loved ones.”
