Burned boys to benefit from big community event on Saturday

Nicholas "Nick" Decker, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student at Bloomfield Elementary School and Joshua Merritt, an 11-year-old student at Loogootee East Elementary School, suffered extensive burns when they were consumed with flames from a gasoline explosion at a fire pit.

The two boys remain in critical condition in the burn unit at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.

Lori George, of Bloomfield, is heading up a fundraiser event for both families and told the Greene County Daily World a large crowd is expected.

"It's going very well. We have quite a few donations for the auction items," she said. "We've had a lot of volunteers to help out with things. There has been a great response to the checking account that has been set up for Nick and Josh (at Bloomfield State Bank). We expect a huge crowd."

The benefit program will include a silent auction, a live auction, a meal, many door prizes, and plenty of music.

The doors will open at 1:30 p.m. to bring in donated items for the auction. A meal will be served starting at 5 p.m. and at about 5:30 p.m. the live auction will begin.

Starting at 8 p.m., a dance will follow featuring "Silverado." There will be a cover charge and it will be divided between the two victim families.

Among the unique donated items that will be auctioned are some chainsaw art sculpture items, fossil fish artifacts that are millions of years old, a signed basketball from Indiana University Coach Tom Crean, several gift certificates, Longenberger baskets, a CD signed by country music recording artist Aaron Tippin, a T-shirt signed by three renowned custom motorcycle builders in the country, a Hi-Lite Jack, two gas grills, and T-shirts autographed by Clay Walker and Josh Greeson. There are also a wide variety of other donated items to numerous to mention.

George invited anyone in the area to come out and support these worthwhile events. The outpouring of support leading up to Saturday's event has been humbling and impressive to everyone involved.

"It (the response) has been huge. It sort restores your faith in humanity here," she concluded.

Prior to the evening program, a bake sale will be conducted in front of the American Legion post on South Washington Street -- in conjunction with the Bloomfield Town Wide Yard Sale.

All proceeds with go to the families of both burned boys.

Special bank accounts have also been established for cash donations to each of the families at Bloomfield State Bank. Donations can be made at any BSB branch facility in the area.

Proceeds from the fundraisers will go into this special account to be used in the future for the boys ongoing medical expenses that will likely continue for years, according to Mike Crays, of Bloomfield, who is grandfather to Josh Merritt.

"That money is not being used for personal use or the bill at the hospital. The family is taking care of all of that. All this benefit money and donations are going into the accounts that are set up at the Bloomfield State Bank for the boys," Crays said. "It may be a lifetime of expenses for them. It's too early to tell how extensive everything is going to be."