Last week the Rivest family, of Addison Township, suffered a tragedy few of us can relate to or even imagine.
An explosion and subsequent fire robbed the family of their world.
Mike Rivest, 43, a father and husband, is gone.
Twenty-month-old Gage, a son and brother, is gone.
The family home is gone.
All their possessions are gone.
Much has been lost that can never be replaced.
Thankfully, Karin Rivest and her two small children, Rachel and Hunter, still have each other and their faith in God.
They also have a support system of friends, neighbors and even strangers who are all pitching in to help out in any way they can.
A homemade collection jar filled to the brim with paper money sits on the counter of Addison Foods in Leonard.
“People have been real good about (donating),” said Stewart Cox, owner of Addison Foods.
Another such jar, again filled with paper money, sits on the counter of Suzy’s Sweets in Lakeville.
Jerry Dorgali, a cook at Suzy’s Sweets, said it’s “mostly people that know” the family who are donating.
At Clear Lake Elementary, fourth-grader Samantha Black heard about the heartbreaking situation from her mother and suggested the school do something to help the Rivests.
As a result, Clear Lake’s student council voted that on Friday, Jan. 16 students can pay a minimum of $1 to wear their favorite hat in school. Proceeds will go to help meet the family’s needs.
The White Horse Inn in Metamora is collecting cash donations and gift cards for the Rivest family, according to owner Tim Wilkins.
“There’s been a great response,” he said.
Wilkins said monetary donations and gift cards to stores are being requested because the family was “inundated” with “clothes and home goods” within 24 hours of the tragedy.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “They’re still sorting through everything.”
Wilkins said he grew up and went to school with the late Mike Rivest, who was a “regular customer” at the White Horse Inn.
The two lived just a few blocks away from each other growing up, but lost touch over the years, he said. When they moved to this area, Wilkins and Rivest ended up living just a few miles apart and “rekindled” their friendship.
“It’s a sad thing. He was a great guy, a hard-worker, a family man,” Wilkins said. “Things like this aren’t supposed to happen to people like that.”
The Living Word Lutheran Church in Rochester is also coming to the family’s aid by collecting donations and applying for matching funds through, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a faith-based financial services organization. Karin has been very active at Living Word for at least five years, while the children attend the church’s school. Rachel is in the second grade and Hunter is in kindergarten.
“(The Rivests) immediate needs have been met,” said Living Word Lutheran School Principal Julian Petzold. “They have received clothes and the children’s Christmas presents have been replaced.”
“What they are looking at now is long-term financial (help),” Petzold said. “(Karin) would like to establish a college fund (for the kids).”
Karin would also like to raise enough money to keep paying the tuition at Living Word so Rachel and Hunter can continue their studies there.
“It is the only normal thing left for them right now,” said Maggie Barclay, a friend of friend of the family.
Petzold and Barclay said gift cards or certificates for stores such as Target and Meijer may also be donated to help meet the family’s needs.
Barclay noted that Karin is a stay-at-home mom so it’s going to “take her a while to get back on her feet.”
Although the family is staying with a close friend in Lapeer, it should be noted that Addison resident and attorney Robert Bunting and Ray VanTine, owner of VanTine Well Drilling, each called the Leader and offered the Rivests a place to stay.
The Addison Township Firefighters Association donated $500 to the Rivests, according to Fire Chief George Spencer.
Assistant Publisher Don Rush and staff writer Jenny Matteson contributed to this story.
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