Fundraiser Benefits Fernway Elementary Clean-Up, Rebuild

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — Teachers, students and the community were devastated by the fire at Fernway Elementary on Tuesday. While the district is still assessing the damage and how it will impact the coming school year, the Shaker Schools Foundation (SSF) has setup the Fernway Fund, to aid rebuild efforts.

"We wanted to make sure the Shaker community understood that our foundation would support the efforts at Fernway," SSF Director Holly Coughlin told Patch. "When those students walk-in to school, on August 22, they will have every ability to succeed as a Lomond or Boulevard student."

Residents have been concerned about the loss of art and science supplies, classroom libraries and other items that may have been destroyed in the fire. In at least a few cases, those items were paid for through teachers' personal funds.

The Fernway Fund will "be used to support teachers and students as they rebuild and re-envision their learning environments to benefit Fernway Elementary," the SSF said in a statement on its website. Coughlin said she has met with other groups raising money for the Fernway students and teachers and will coordinate the utilization of the funds. "We want to make sure that everyone isn't buying the same calculators," she said.

Luckily, the Fund has already gotten a big boost from members of the community.

"The Green Family, whose daughter is a Fernway alumna, will make a gift of $5,000 to SSF's Fernway Fund if other donations totaling $10,000 are received by August 10. We greatly appreciate this support that will make community donations go even further to help Fernway!" the SSF said in a post on Facebook.

Coughlin said she met with a member of the Green family prior to the donation announcement. She said they had tears in their eyes and wanted so badly to help the school.

"There's just this connection to the Shaker elementary schools," Coughlin said.

Donations to the Fernway Fund can be made by clicking here. A donation as small as $10 could help buy a book for a student, Coughlin noted. No donation is too small for the Fund.

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