Howell father honored for running back into condo fire to save daughter
HOWELL — Two Howell-area families displaced by an April condo fire have received support from the community for the past month, including donations of money and clothes.
That support was evident Saturday during a fundraiser to help the families get re-established.
The Howell Eagles Club hosted a dinner and fundraiser Saturday, May 18, for families displaced by the April 14 fire at Hampton Ridge in Genoa Township.
Kristy Timreck, her son Brody, and David Hurtado and his daughters Ella and Lilly lost all of their belongings. The condos sustained smoke and water damage.
GoFundMe pages have been created at gofund.me/4d504b5f and gofund.me/a1fa289b.
But the event wasn't just for support — it also served as an opportunity to recognize heroism. David, officials said, ran back into the blaze to rescue one of his daughters. He was later hospitalized.
Order of the Eastern Star, Howell Chapter No. 372, presented checks to both families.
“It was more than I ever expected,” David said.
JoAnn Leatherman, vice president of the Howell Eagles Auxiliary, organized the event. David and Kristy are both members of the Howell Eagles.
“We as an organization want to make sure our members are taken care of and our community is taken care of,” Leatherman said. “We’re just trying to raise money for them and their families, especially when there’s children involved.”
David said the last month has “been a challenge” but the community has stepped up.
“I hope to find another place to call home,” he said.
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Kristy said the community’s support “means everything” to her and her son.
“I’ve been tearful for days about everything,” Timreck said. “It means so much.”
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Howell father honored for running back into condo fire to save daughter
