Community Joins Hearts To Pay For Friend's Funeral

RIVERHEAD, NY — During the darkest of hours, friends come together to bear the burden and lend a comforting hand.

A GoFundMe, "Help Dan's Daughter Pay For Funeral," created by Katie Baum, has raised $2,070 of its $7,000 goal so far.

"With a heavy heart, I ask for your help. It is with inexplicable sadness that we come together for the sudden passing of Daniel Vail," the page says. "There are very few words one can utter to define a soul as kind and gentle as that of Dan’s. Dan was a brilliant, talented man who didn’t let the hardships he was dealt get in the way of living his life."

Dan is survived by his two children, Amanda and Adam, and his girlfriend Wendy, "whom he adored with every ounce of his being. No family should have to carry such a burden alone," the page says.

Donations are sought to help offset funeral costs and to help meet the financial strain, the page says.

To donate, click here.

Photo courtesy of GoFundMe.