GoFundMe started for family of Penn Township barn fire
A GoFundMe started after the Mock family’s barn and a silo in Penn Township burned down will used to rebuild the barn, replace essential supplies and help the family and its dairy farm recover.
Fire stations in Allegheny, Butler and Beaver counties were dispatched for the fire around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday on Powell Road. The Mock family got its cattle safely out of the barn before a partial collapse that injured one firefighter.
“Dave and Dawn (Mock), along with their children, Wyatt, Hunter, and Sierra, run the day-to-day operations,” said Kelli Kulbacki, who organized the fundraiser on behalf of Dawn Mock. “If you know them, they are one of the hardest working families in the area.”
The fundraiser raised almost $15,000 of its $50,000 goal and received 72 donations in its first 13 hours. The barn, which was deemed a total loss, also supplied water and electricity to the family home, according to the GoFundMe.
“The barn wasn’t just a building – it was the heart and soul of their family’s livelihood and daily life,” Kulbacki said. “It held years of hard work, memories, and the essentials to keep their farm running.”
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau also posted to Facebook asking for prayers and donations for the Mock family. Specific items like hay and feed, or monetary donations, are being requested. The Farm Bureau said it is working with other organizations to determine how to best help the family.
The cause of the fire was still undetermined Wednesday, according to an official, but according to a family friend, the blaze started when farm equipment in the barn caught fire and ignited hay.
In addition to the GoFundMe, donations can be sent by mail to the Butler County Farm Bureau at PO Box 138 Saxonburg, PA 16056. Checks should be made payable to BCFB.
