The 5 Angels Memorial Fund serves several purposes.
At its core, the nonprofit is a vehicle to remember the five lost March 20, 2024, in a Jeannette house fire.
Tyler J. King, 27, and four of his children — Kyson, 7; Kinzleigh, 6; Keagan, 3; and Korbyn, 1 month — were killed in the blaze along Guy Street. Two more children, ages 10 and 1, and their mother, Miranda John, also King’s fiancee, were rescued from the flames.
But the fund is also seeking to give back to the community that rallied to the family’s side after the blaze, according to Miranda.
To mark the second anniversary of the fire, more than 100 gathered for a bingo event at the Jeannette American Legion that served as a fundraising effort for the nonprofit.
“We’re not grieving today,” said Heather John, Miranda’s mother. “Today, we’re celebrating.”
When asked how they felt soon after the event began, mother and daughter answered simultaneously: “overwhelmed.”
Heather said most of the money will go toward the family’s effort to establish a community park at the site of the former home on Guy Street.
She hopes the park — which could include a pavilion, jungle gym and basketball court — will be complete by next March.
The cause of the fire was ruled undetermined last year after a yearlong investigation by a state police fire marshal. The amount of damage at the two-story home, which collapsed, made it difficult to determine a cause.
But with the investigation completed, Heather said she hopes demolition work can begin soon.
Some of the money generated by the event will go toward scholarships for seniors at Jeannette Junior-Senior High School, Miranda said.
The scholarships are open to all seniors, though Miranda said she encourages students who have experienced hardship to apply.
Natasha Reaggle, John’s cousin, told TribLive, that The 5 Angels Memorial Fund will also purchase books for classrooms at McKee Elementary School; provide food and gifts to local families during the holidays; support Veterans Day initiatives; and donate baskets of items to Westmoreland Hospital for newborns who share the birthdays of Kyson, Kinzleigh, Keagan and Korbyn.
Saturday’s bingo event, which involved months of planning, drew strangers and longtime friends alike.
“We’ve been planning this since November,” Miranda said.
Diana Clawson of Harrison City said she didn’t know the Johns, but a friend had encouraged her to attend the event.
A bingo lover, Clawson also entered in several raffle baskets on Saturday.
“I wish them well, and I hope this goes well for them,” Clawson said.
Rajha Stokum, a Jeannette resident and childhood friend of Miranda, said the event was a display of the mutual love of the family and community.
Two years after the blaze, she said the healing process may not be complete, but she was pleased to see so many people still come out for bingo and keep the family’s “souls alive.”
Though Saturday’s event was fairly lighthearted, the Johns said they gathered Friday to mourn and visit the graves of the five.
“Yesterday, we spent the whole day together,” Heather said.
March 20 is also an official day of remembrance for the father and four children after a vote from Jeannette Council this month, Miranda said.
The Johns said they plan to hold a public event each year to mark the anniversary of the blaze.
Heather, speaking before the first bingo game, thanked those in attendance for coming to remember her family and said she hopes the money raised can make a difference in the community.
“Once our angels, always our angels,” she said.