Support the Wu Family After Devastating Fire

At close to 10pm on Friday, October 18, longtime residents of the Rockshire neighborhood of Rockville suffered a devastating house fire that destroyed much of their home. The source of the fire is still under investigation but likely started in their garage. Luckily the Wu/Cheng family was not asleep and was able to escape the flames. Much of their belongings were burned, broken or soaked, we can all imagine how their lives are being turned upside down with this accident. The displaced family is staying at a nearby hotel for the short term while they navigate next steps in what’s surely a long road to recovery and normalcy.

This Go Fund Me campaign is being launched to make it a little easier for the family to get through this difficult period. As their friends, neighbors, school community, fellow parents and residents in this community, let's pitch in to help in any way we can until they get resettled and restart their lives.

This family of five has called Montgomery County and Rockville home for over 18 years. Mr. Wu is a long-time, respected scientist/chemist at the NIH doing cancer treatment research. Mrs. Wu is a devoted mother who also works at a non-profit organization teaching technology to senior citizens. Together, they have created a tight knit family with three wonderful, hardworking and incredibly talented kids who have grown up in our neighborhood. The oldest son Jingkang is a sophomore at UMD studying biology; the middle daughter Jingjing is a senior at Montgomery Blair High School; and the youngest daughter Judy is in 7th grade at Robert Frost Middle School. We can imagine the difficulties this accident is causing the family in terms of disruptions to their work, school and family life.

The family has been heartened by the outpouring of community support in the aftermath of the fire. We know people want to help but don’t know how. This consolidated campaign is one way where we can pull together the support into one place. Thank you for your open heart. Your warmth and generosity are greatly appreciated by the entire family.

A lot of us live in houses that were built with the same fire and building codes of decades past, it's a wakeup call for all of us to be cognizant of fire dangers and prepare as best we can. It's also a good time to hug and kiss our families and say a prayer for the Wu family to help them overcome this tragedy that could have been much worse. Also, check your fire extinguishers and insurance policies for adequate coverage.

Thank you for your support to the Wu family!

Sasha S.

Neighborhood friend