Following the tragic accident April 28 at the Chatham YNOT after-school program that resulted in the death of three children and a teen, the community held vigils and sought ways to help all involved. Those killed were Ainsley Johnson, age 8; Kathryn Corley, 7; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7; all of Chatham, and Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield. Six other children were hospitalized, one in critical condition.
In an amazing show of community support, fundraisers, meal assistance, blood drives and many more events quickly went into motion. GoFundMe pages and other efforts continue to provide assistance for medical and emotional support, miscellaneous expenses and memorial funds. Area health care organizations, counselors and pastors hosted a series of events to offer grief counseling and trauma-informed support to members of the Chatham community.
Glenwood High School's student council initiated a GoFundMe page to help the affected families with funeral services, medical bills and other expenses as needed. On May 1, organizer Amanda Power posted: "The vigils over the last two days have been incredibly beautiful ways for our community to come together. Your support of our families is not going unnoticed. We have a $10,000 donation from United Community Bank and another $10,000 donation from Landmark Ford, on top of our current total. I cannot tell you how this is going to impact our community. Hold each other close. We are #ChathamStrong."
At the time of this writing, more than $245,000 had been raised.
Logan Kienzle, who had worked at YNOT for three summers throughout college, is the co-organizer for the Child Care Fund for Families of YNOT. He posted, "Jamie, the owner of YNOT, always works his hardest to be flexible with families experiencing financial difficulty, and I respect that most about him. We all see that rising costs are continuing to rise, and child care is not exempt from that. With this tragedy, many of these kids will need mental health services. For some families that is an expense that could restrict them from being able to pay for child care throughout the summer. I am asking all of you to help me put together a fund to support the families who attend YNOT. As a community, we should not want parents to be forced to choose between mental health services because of this horrific tragedy and child care during the summer."
YNOT is a nonprofit organization, and among other suggestions, the Britton family notes that donations can be made to YNOT in memory of Rylee.
Dr. Michael Buhnerkempe, a research associate professor at SIU School of Medicine, lost his daughter, Alma. The Alma Buhnerkempe Memorial Fund will fund initiatives that support SIU School of Medicine while reflecting Alma's passions and spirit. The fund's webpage states: "This fund aims to create a lasting legacy that celebrates Alma's love for sports, music and community involvement, ensuring that her memory continues to inspire and bring joy to others." More than 300 people have contributed so far.
The Buhnerkempe family also requested that donations be made to The KASE Project in lieu of flowers. Alma's brother, Will, has autism, and as a devoted sister Alma volunteered and ran Red Light, Green Light games for Will's activities with the FLASH program, an adaptive-sports program for kids with disabilities. The KASE Project aims to raise awareness for and support the autism community through community outreach and direct fundraising.
Additionally, some two dozen individuals and businesses have been selling items or providing services to showcase Chatham Strong and donate proceeds to support the families.
A Linktree page (https://linktr.ee/chathamstrong) provides information for community members who want to help or who need support. It includes information on fundraisers, supply and blood donation opportunities, upcoming vigils and other events, community resources and support.
Janet Seitz is a local communications professional, writer and artist. To share your story, contact her at janetseitz1@gmail.com.
