Swampscott Rotary extends deadline for fire donations

SWAMPSCOTT – Due to an outpouring of community support, the Swampscott Rotary Club will extend their deadline and collect donations until March 25 to aid those left homeless in a March 1 fire.”We don’t have the total yet, but people are being very generous,” said Rotary Club President Dr. Joan McCormack. We thought an additional week would allow businesses and residents to continue their efforts to raise funds.”The fire completely destroyed 128n141 Humphrey St., a circa-1900 building across from King’s Beach in downtown Swampscott. The blaze destroyed six businesses and left 13 residents homeless.Clothing donations for victims began arriving at Town Hall the day after the fire, completely filling a meeting room in just days. Town Hall also immediately began receiving calls from residents offering financial support to the victims. But the town has no mechanism to establish a fund for the victims.”Hundreds of people were calling the town, but there was no way for the town to take the cash and keep it in a separate fund,” explained Rotarian and Board of Selectmen Chair Jill Sullivan.So the Rotary Club stepped in, organizing the Swampscott Fire Victims Fund at Eastern Bank in Vinnin Square. The fund was scheduled to end on Friday, March 18 but will continue until March 25.”Rotary is always concerned with the town and community members,” said McCormack. “It definitely made sense for us to spearhead this effort.”Already the fund has received donations from individuals and families throughout the North Shore. Swampscott businesses have also joined the cause. Uno Chicago Grill and Paradiso Restaurant held fundraisers over the past weekend and Advanced Vision Center will donate a portion of their sales from Thursday, March 24 to the fund. The money will be spread equally among the victims.Donations can be dropped off or mailed to the Eastern Bank, Vinnin Square branch at 405 Paradise Road and checks can be made payable to: “Swampscott Fire Victims Fund”, c/o Eastern Bank, 405 Paradise Road, Swampscott, MA 01907″I think that everybody’s very sympathetic with the needs of the residents who lost their homes in the fire,” said McCormack. “They lost everything.”