Jonathan Wright's Fire Disaster Relief Fund

Team fundraiser

Gabrielle Stafford and Shoshanah Armbruster are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Jonathan Wright.

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Hello! I'm raising funds to help our beloved Boulder High teacher Jonathan Wright and his family recover from the calamity that struck last Christmas Eve--a fire that rendered his home a toxic spill site. My name is Gabrielle Stafford and I am a parent of two Boulder High students who have benefited from Jonathan Wright's talent, skill, and empathy as an English Language Arts teacher and Adviser for the Owl Newspaper. Many of your children have also benefited from his more than 25 years of teaching, over 13 of which have been at Boulder High.

Here is his story in his words: As we were sitting down to Christmas Eve dinner, my wife, Heather, went to the garage to get some seltzer water and discovered a pillar of flame consuming the back corner wall. This devastating fire quickly consumed not only the structure itself but also our two vehicles and everything in the attic. Unfortunately, the fire didn't confine itself to the garage; it spread into the attic, filling our home with damaging smoke and compromising the structural integrity of the building.

But the fire's damage was only the beginning. Our home of the last 30 years was built in 1965 and contained asbestos in the drywall, which was dispersed by the pressurized fire throughout our house, contaminating everything. Due to the extent of the contamination, the state declared our home a major toxic spill site, which brought myriad regulatory challenges, adding complexity to an already overwhelming situation. The asbestos contamination has also led to an almost total loss of our belongings.

The road to recovery has been arduous and fraught with unexpected hurdles. The asbestos abatement process alone has already cost over $130,000. In addition, the structural damage to our home is extensive: the roof must be completely removed and replaced, and the house must be gutted down to the studs. The estimated cost for the rebuild is around $400,000.

Unfortunately, our insurance coverage falls significantly short of these costs, providing only $340,000. This leaves us with a shortfall of $190,000. As a teacher and a nurse who are nearing retirement, our financial plans have certainly been upended.

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Please help Mr. Wright and his family get back on their feet by helping him shoulder this enormous financial burden.