COOLEEMEE, N.C. (WGHP) — The Davie County community is coming together after a tragedy.
People are raising money to support the family torn apart by a murder-suicide earlier this week.
“It’s heartbreaking," said Toni Burke, who came to Saturday's fundraiser for the family.
"I have kids about the same age and to think that something like that happened, it’s unbelievable and it’s tragic,” Burke added.
News of the deaths of Ashton Brown and her children after a large fire in their home spread quickly in the small community.
"I think we all look at it as that could be us," said Nikole Lewis, who organized Saturday's fundraiser.
"We could be in that situation and that in itself is enough to make people want to just help,” Lewis added.
Community members gathered at the Cooleemee Fire Department Saturday afternoon for a plate sale. Many wore t-shirts donned with #AshtonBella&BrixxStrong.
Attendees could get chicken, ribs, or pork, along with sides and desserts. At $15 per plate, organizers raised $1,100 just from pre-sales. All of that money will go to the family members Brown leaves behind.
"Everybody says what they want to about Davie County but when tragedy strikes, we all come together and we support each other and that’s the biggest thing," said Lewis.
Lewis organized the plate sale and didn't even know Brown personally.
"As a community, we all put ourselves in that situation," she said. "What if that was us? What if that was our family or one of our loved ones?"
Other organizations are pitching in, too.
Bird and Co. Boutique in Mocksville is selling t-shirts in memory of the victims to help the cause. The store has already made more than $9,000 from those sales. 100% of the proceeds will go to the family.
The community also has a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs for Brown and her children. It already has more than $18,000 in donations.
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