Former UC Santa Cruz Students Among Those Killed In Oakland 'Ghost Ship' Warehouse Fire

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA – Two former University of California at Santa Cruz students were among the 36 victims who died in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland on Friday, school officials said Monday.

Sara Hoda, 30, and Cash Askew, 22, were among those who died in the three-alarm fire during a party thrown by an artist collective Friday night in Oakland's Fruitvale district.

"The scope of this tragedy is difficult to fathom," UCSC executive vice chancellors Alison Galloway and Herbert Lee said in a statement.

Hoda was a 2009 graduate of the university's Merrill College, school officials said.

She was a teacher at Urban Montessori Charter School in Oakland, where grief counselors will be on campus this week for the campus community to help cope with her passing, Urban Montessori's Head of School David Castillo said.

"Sara was loved and full of love, she will be missed by so many people, particularly within our Urban Montessori Charter School community," Castillo said.

A GoFundMe campaign was established to help "Sara's mom, Fatima, to pay for funeral and any other expenses that may arise as a result of this tragic loss." See details here. To date, $1,120 has been reaised toward its $10,000 goal.

Askew, who grew up in San Francisco, was working on an art degree at UCSC's Kresge College from 2012 to 2014, school officials said.

Askew was a member of Them Are Us Too, a Bay Area musical duo founded in July 2009 that makes textural music, according to the group's Facebook page.

Authorities have tentatively identified 33 of the 36 bodies recovered from the warehouse, Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern said during a Monday news conference.

Sheriff's officials don't expect to see a jump in the number of victims, but there may be additional bodies found at the warehouse as authorities continue searching the site, Ahern said.

Meanwhile, there are now two official funds set up to receive donations for the victims and families of the Oakland warehouse fire.

The first was established on Saturday by the Oakland A’s, who promised to match up to $50,000 in pledges. The Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors quickly joined forces with the A’s, each also promising to match $50,000. Many individuals gave between $5 and $100. Sutter Health pledged $75,000.

A second fund was established by Gray Area Foundation for the Arts.

According to that fund's statement, "We are forming an oversight committee, talking with Oakland authorities, and will be sure the funds are allocated appropriately to fire victims and with due diligence. There will be public disclosure through the fund page and via Gray Area disclosing how these funds are spent, while also maintaining anonymity for the grieving friends and family members affected by this event. We are waiting on official word from authorities prior to making further decisions but our hope is to provide relief for Funeral, Medical and Health related expenses first and foremost."

Both are registered charities. Gray Area Foundation for the Arts is not rated by charity watchdog Charity Navigator "because it does not meet our criteria of having at least $1 million in revenues." The Oakland A's Community Fund is not rated "because it is a Private Foundation."

>>See A's Oakland Fire Relief Fund

>> See Gray Area Oakland Fire Relief Fund

Grief support also is available for UCSC students at the university's Counseling and Psychological Services at (831) 459-2628. Faculty and staff can seek help through the school's Employee Assistance Program at (866)
808-6205.

ALSO SEE:

• Oakland Warehouse Fire Latest: Names of 10 Additional Victims Released
• Oakland Fire Donations: 2 Official Victim Funds Established

--Bay City News and Bea Karnes contributed to this report/Fire image via Oakland Fire Department; Hoda photo courtesy of GoFundMe