The people of Lake Sheridan in Benton Township were rocked over the weekend when one of their own lost everything in a house fire.
Lake member Kathy Geerts, her son, and dog escaped a destructive fire early Saturday morning.
Geerts is a fixture in the Lake Sheridan community, known for always giving back.
"She's always been there for the lake community when we do a basket raffle every year, just to raise funds, and you can always count on her to donate. She's always been there for our community, and it's just time for our community to be there for her," said Karen Seifert, from Ithaca, New York.
That's why a group of lake neighbors came together to start a GoFundMe page for Kathy and her family since this year hasn't been easy for them.
"She's dealing with the loss of a husband, obviously going through a lot of the personal belongings and memories, things like that, that come along with a family member passing away, so I mean as if couldn't get any worse, you lose everything in the blink of an eye," said Jim Davis of Glenburn Township.
The Geerts family had lived on the lake for several decades. When the fire happened, community members didn't hesitate to lend a helping hand.
"If there's anyone you can think of that people are going to chip in and help, it's someone like Kathy. Like we said, all we did was get the ball rolling. People helped because of the relationship they have with her and her family and also the way that the community saw what she's done for people," said Al Dorunda of Newton Township.
Belvedere Lanes and Keglar's Korner in Nicholson will host a fundraiser on March 27 for the family.