Bridgewater group raises money for Fall River fire victim with local ties

BRIDGEWATER — Karen Robinson and her daughters Emily and Matilda were three of the 84 people displaced after the Jan. 1 fire burned the Four Winds apartment building in Fall River.

She lost everything she owned. But in the wake of the fire, Robinson's family and friends are trying to help her rebuild.

Robinson's brother opened his home to her, she said. And her "second family," as Robinson calls them, a group of staffers from the Arts for Youth program at Bridgewater State University, is doing their part.

Robinson worked with the program for 16 years, and remains close with her former colleagues. On Saturday, they met at the Riviera Cafe in Bridgewater to raffle off gift certificates and a few other prizes, to scrape together a little cash for Robinson and her daughters.

The family had moved into the Four Winds just two weeks before the fire, Robinson said, returning to Fall River after years in the western suburbs of Boston.

On the morning of Jan. 1, Robinson heard a thud, she said, but didn't think much of it.

When the fire alarms started going off, she didn't think much of them either — there had been a few fire drills already since the Robinsons moved in.

Still in her pajamas, Robinson grabbed her keys and strolled outside.

That's when she saw the car that had crashed into her building, severing a gas line and setting off a blaze that would destroy the building.

Robinson was not allowed to go inside to get her things: no family photos or important documents.

Worst of all, her two cats Buffy and Willow were still inside. They did not survive the fire, she said.

For hours, Robinson stood in the parking lot, looking up at her home burning.

"It was incredibly surreal," Robinson said.

That night, Robinson moved into her brother's house, where she said she has been staying since.

"I'm super-grateful I have the family I do and the support I do," Robinson said Saturday. As each of her friends came into the Riviera, she gave them hugs.

Will Candler worked with Robinson at Arts for Youth. When he heard Robinson was among those who lost their homes in the fire, he said he was compelled to do something.

With other Arts for Youth staff, he brainstormed ideas, and the group decide on a raffle. Local businesses and restaurants donated gift cards, and Robinson's friends and family bought raffle tickets to win the gift certificates.

Candler said he hoped to raise $1,000 on Saturday, but he fundraiser netted about $1,100 from Arts for Youth staff and former students.

One online donation from a former student came with a note. "For one of the best humans to ever support me," she wrote.

Candler was not surprised to see Robinson's former students pitching in.

"She's given so much of her life to the students," he said.

Just over a month after the fire, Robinson is trying to think more about what she has than what she lost.

"What we have is a great support system, and a lot of love," she said. "It's very humbling, I have to say."