THE STATION FAMILY FUND IN THE NEWS		With Interest Waning, Station Fund Shifts Focus February 20, 2007 By Talia Buford, Journal Staff Writer WEST WARWICK – The Station Fire Fund, organized just months after the fatal 2003 blaze at the West Warwick nightclub to help survivors and families of the victims, finds itself today at a crossroads, as the passage of time leads to flagging interest and fundraising efforts. With an estimated $3,000 in its coffers – it once totaled more than 100 times that sum – its leaders say the fund will now focus on helping survivors fill the gap in medical costs. “It's the problem that won't go away,” said Jonathan Bell, chairman of the board of directors for the fund. “It's the problem that no amount of stabilization solves. People who [were] injured in the fire have injuries that are lifelong. And there will always be an imperfect medical system and an imperfect insurance system.” The fund was formed in May 2003 – a few months after the fire ripped through The Station nightclub. Today marks the fourth anniversary of the blaze that claimed the lives of 100 people. Suddenly, many Rhode Islanders faced life without their loved ones and the income they provided, or saw a relative now unable to work because of injuries, Bell said. The fund's purpose was to provide assistance for housing expenses, fuel bills, medical costs, car payments and groceries to victims and family members. The fund has helped hundreds of people, said Theresa O'Toole, chief information officer and member of the board of directors. “At first, we were helping any way we could,” O'Toole said. “We were doing really well our first year. We never had a huge balance because as soon as it came in, we were putting it back out [to those who needed the money].” Organizations across the state held fundraisers, donated money, or donated services to be raffled or space to host events for the fund. The fund also began selling a CD called Rock to the Rescue, which featured local artists' musical tributes to victims of the fire. The fund raised $203,199 through donations and gave out $147,885 to families in the first year, according to the income tax form filed with the federal government in 2003. Of that, $19,142 went toward automobile expenses, $14,581 to utility bills, and $86,830 was allotted for “food, shelter and clothing for indigents,” according to the documents. The remaining $27,332 was scattered among the costs of funeral expenses, loan and credit-card payments, storage, insurance, memorials, property taxes, travel, holiday parties and gifts, and medical and dental expenses, according to the documents. The fund started the next year with $34,890 and raised an additional $355,425. Of the $390,315 the fund had in its account in 2004, it gave out $372,402. After miscellaneous “management and general” costs, the fund ended the year with $14,985, according to the tax form. The fund's 2005 and 2006 tax forms are not yet available online, but O'Toole estimated the fund has about $3,000 left. Things were going well those first few years, O'Toole said, but things began to decline. The phone number publicly listed for the fund was disconnected. Fundraising efforts stopped. The fund dropped out of local newspapers and television broadcasts. An annual holiday party for survivors and family members was canceled because interest lagged. The organization's balance fell as board membership dropped, O'Toole said. The stress of constantly dealing with the despair was wearing on the organization's members, many of whom are either survivors of the fire or know someone who was in the nightclub that night, Bell said. The personal connection to the fire was both a gift and a curse, he said. “It was people who were affected by the fire helping other people who were affected by it,” Bell said. “It was tremendously powerful as a healing tool to be able to do something to help people. But many people involved felt the need to move on. Part of that was just not wanting to have this be the defining moment in their lives. They'd rather it be something they helped or worked with and moved on.” At its highest, the board had between 10 and 12 members, Bell said. Today, the board of directors consists of four people: Bell, O'Toole, treasurer Joseph James LoBianco and president Stephanie Niewola. On the organization's Web site, www.stationfamilyfund.org, 13 people are listed as event and fundraiser volunteers, including Victoria (Potvin) Eagan, Station fire survivor, fund co-founder and former president. The members were forced to step back and evaluate the fund's purpose and continued viability, O'Toole said. “For a couple of months, we were debating whether to continue with the fund or not,” she said. “But we have become a source for a lot of people. Whether it's to get assistance or people calling to ask about memorial services, people look to us for help. On that level, if we just stay for that, it's a positive thing.” Under the new mission, people would still be required to contact the fund to request assistance, but money would not be paid directly to individuals. Rather than give money for rent or groceries, grants would be awarded to help survivors pay for advanced treatments or a prosthetic limb, a cost not covered by their insurance, Bell said. By providing assistance for costly medical procedures and treatments, Bell said the organization has found a mission that can carry it through the years. “The needs of many people have stabilized, but other needs will always be there,” he said. “The medical system and insurance system won't cover people perfectly. There will always be gaps for people who are severely injured. Our goal is to see if we can raise enough money to meet the needs of those people.” The organization is now looking to rebuild the membership list, Bell said. One new board member will attend her first meeting on Saturday, he said, and will be “a fabulous addition, but we need five more just like her,” Bell said. Bell said he hopes to rebuild the board of directors and garner enough public support to begin helping people with grants by July. “I'm hoping that, by then, we will have gotten our message out loud enough to let people know what we are focusing on and you'll see us actively fundraising.” tbuford@projo.com © 2008 Station Family Fund. The Station Family Fund is a non-profit organization. Website design and production by 3•Leaf Design.