Fire fighter tragically loses home in fire
March 1, 2023
Ezra DeVore
A local volunteer firefighter and his family have lost their home after a house fire in January, but a local auction will be held on March 11 at 6 p.m. to raise funds for his family to rebuild.
Originally from the Mt. Vernon area, Dylan Foster moved near Galena in high school to care for his grandfather as he battled cancer.
Dylan states he was inspired by his father, Kenny, a career paramedic, to pursue a life of volunteer work. His father's gratification at the end of a shift instilled an early value in service to others.
Entering into the volunteer fire service while in high school, Dylan earned his certifications before spending a handful of years in pure devotion to his family. Five years ago, Foster returned to his passion, currently serving as the volunteer Fire Captain of the North Stone Northeast Barry County Fire Protection District.
"This has been a real eye-opener for me, having never put much thought into what families would go through after we put the fire out and leave," Dylan said.
"It was amazing how, before our house was even extinguished, we had people calling, asking what we needed and how they could help. Not only from our community but surrounding areas as well."
Randy Cloud, a spokesperson for the upcoming benefit auction for the Foster family, offered a statement regarding the work of these communities.
"Collectively, we decided to partner with other members of the North Stone Northeast Barry County Fire Protection District to collect and maintain a reserve of clothing and essential items for future fire victims, as oftentimes, families are left with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. The American Red Cross is wonderful, but that can only go so far. If we can help other local families, we will do our best to pitch in where we can. There will likely be future clothing donation drives, in addition to any clothing that we have received that were not the correct sizes for our family. We have already made a great start and see there is a local need for assistance, so we can build from that and hopefully will become something wonderful for the community in general."
Dylan met his wife Amie in high school, marrying in 2016. Dylan and Amie have three children, Hayden, 13; Bryer, 8; and Finley, 5.
Anyone wishing to donate to the recovery fund may contribute to the established GoFundMe account at https://gofund.me/1b371a3b.
Families and businesses may contribute to the benefit auction, held on March 11, 2023, at the Galena High School Gymnasium. All are welcome to bring their contributions on the day of the auction or call Roger Melton at 417-830-0153 or at Caleb Baker at 417-818-7133 to arrange a time for pick-up.
A local volunteer firefighter and his family have lost their home after a house fire in January, but a local auction will be held on March 11 at 6 p.m. to raise funds for his family to rebuild.
Originally from the Mt. Vernon area, Dylan Foster moved near Galena in high school to care for his grandfather as he battled cancer.
Dylan states he was inspired by his father, Kenny, a career paramedic, to pursue a life of volunteer work. His father's gratification at the end of a shift instilled an early value in service to others.
Entering into the volunteer fire service while in high school, Dylan earned his certifications before spending a handful of years in pure devotion to his family. Five years ago, Foster returned to his passion, currently serving as the volunteer Fire Captain of the North Stone Northeast Barry County Fire Protection District.
"This has been a real eye-opener for me, having never put much thought into what families would go through after we put the fire out and leave," Dylan said.
"It was amazing how, before our house was even extinguished, we had people calling, asking what we needed and how they could help. Not only from our community but surrounding areas as well."
Randy Cloud, a spokesperson for the upcoming benefit auction for the Foster family, offered a statement regarding the work of these communities.
"Collectively, we decided to partner with other members of the North Stone Northeast Barry County Fire Protection District to collect and maintain a reserve of clothing and essential items for future fire victims, as oftentimes, families are left with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. The American Red Cross is wonderful, but that can only go so far. If we can help other local families, we will do our best to pitch in where we can. There will likely be future clothing donation drives, in addition to any clothing that we have received that were not the correct sizes for our family. We have already made a great start and see there is a local need for assistance, so we can build from that and hopefully will become something wonderful for the community in general."
Dylan met his wife Amie in high school, marrying in 2016. Dylan and Amie have three children, Hayden, 13; Bryer, 8; and Finley, 5.
Anyone wishing to donate to the recovery fund may contribute to the established GoFundMe account at https://gofund.me/1b371a3b.
Families and businesses may contribute to the benefit auction, held on March 11, 2023, at the Galena High School Gymnasium. All are welcome to bring their contributions on the day of the auction or call Roger Melton at 417-830-0153 or at Caleb Baker at 417-818-7133 to arrange a time for pick-up.