I have never been more proud to be a part of the JMU community than I was this past Thursday. Tragedy struck the JMU student population when a fire broke out in an off-campus apartment complex Thursday afternoon, consuming the homes of over 40 students.
Not only did students lose their homes, but also all of their belongings and even pets that are still missing.
Reports indicated that fire departments from multiple surrounding areas, including Rockingham County, Augusta County, and Harrisonburg County, rushed to the scene of the five-alarm structural fire and worked to put out the flames that had engulfed the three-floor structure (Smith, Samantha). The dark smoke consumed the air and could be seen all the way from Massanutten Mountain, about 20 minutes away from the scene of the fire. Fire officials safely evacuated all of the residents and no one was injured.
Students began taking immediate action to help those in need after receiving this devastating news. A GoFundMe page was set up by a JMU Senior to raise money for those impacted, and over $40,000 was raised within just five hours of the tragedy. Donations are still pouring in two days later with more than $84,000 worth of donations at this time. Courtney Brogna, the student who set up the account, shared, "…this was amazing and meant the world to me that so many people are willing to step out of their comfort zone, help out in any way, shape or form that they can, just for the aid of someone else, even if they don't know them" (Hall, Hannah).
Other donation funds have been set up by those in the JMU and the surrounding community. Apartment complexes, student organizations, Salvation Army, Red Cross, and many others have set up donation bins around the area to collect supplies and donations to make up for the belongings students lost. Restaurants and food vendors around Harrisonburg have organized meals for the students affected as well as set up fundraising events.
It truly is incredible how quickly the JMU community came together in an effort to help fellow Dukes who lost just about everything except what they took with them to classes that morning. Regardless of knowing those affected or not, Dukes took immediate action to do anything they could to contribute to the cause. While students are coping with the shock of losing their homes in the remaining month of school, having the emotional support of the community around them is even more essential. President Alger addressed JMU students in a mass email, commending them as well as families and community members for their outpouring support and willingness to take action to ensure the safety of students involved.
There truly is something special about the JMU community and I couldn't be more appreciative of it. On a campus of over 20,000 students, we sure do have a way of coming together and supporting one another, especially in times of need.
