After the recent tragic accident that claimed the life of Serafina Bimonte Kinnare, a graduate of Daniel Hand High School who grew up in Madison, the town rallied around the surviving family members, which includes her seven grieving children and husband.
Relatives, friends, and complete strangers opened their homes, hearts, closets, and pocketbooks to help the family with the essentials they needed while they stayed here in town. The donations people made were nearly instantaneous after the call went out and enormously generous. One of my favorites include a young Killingworth girl who went to the front of her closest and picked out some of her best clothes to give to one of Serafina's daughters. Other Madison residents, who had never met any of the family members, but grieved with them, pulled out some top-of-the-line strollers from their garages to donate to the family.
The plan was for them to go back to their home in Florida, but now they plan to live here in Madison.
And now we have another chance to help them. Family and friends are holding a fundraiser Sept. 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the St. Andrew Society at 515 Chapel Street in New Haven. All proceeds will benefit the children. Tickets are $25, children under 12 are free.
For more information, you can write to inmemoriamserafina@aol.com or visit a Facebook page that has been set up by some of Serafina's Sacred Heart Academy classmates at https://www.facebook.com/groups/inmemoriamserafina/
