Community rallies in support of Morrissey family

By: 
Kelly J. Kaczala

        Fundraisers have been established to help raise money for the families of two BP-Husky refinery employees who were killed in an explosion and fire that broke out in the refinery on Cedar Point Road on Tuesday, September 20.
        Ben Morrissey, 32, and his brother Max Morrissey, 34, died the following day, Wednesday, September 21, at the University of Michigan medical center, where they were transported from Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center after suffering severe burns.
.       Both brothers left behind wives with young children.
        Alan Miller, owner of Alan Miller Jewelers, 3239 Navarre Avenue, is holding a raffle to benefit the Morrissey families.
        “The whole Morrissey familyhave been customers of ours,” said Miller. “We’re just heartbroken. I can’t imagine losing two of my children.”
        A raffle ticket costs $10 and 3 for $25. “We’re going to have a drawing on Saturday, Oct. 22. The winning ticket will receive one pair of 2.00 ctw lab-grown diamond stud earrings valued at $3,000. All proceeds will go directly to a trust fund set up for the children,” said Miller.
        Miller knew both men.
        “Ben was just in my store three or four weeks ago. He came in to buy his wife, Kaddie, a present. I didn’t know him well. Ben had been living in New York City where he had learned his apprenticeship, and he just moved back here in March. He was a very nice young man. Max got him a job there at the refinery. I got the opportunity to talk to Ben then when he came into my store, we sat down and talked for 10 to 15 minutes.
        He said he knew Max better.
        Max, he said, “was a real hard worker.”
        “He started a pizza business, Red Eye Pie and Frozen Fantasy’s on Seaman. He also had bought a food truck. In his spare time, he’d go around and sell food from the food truck as well as work at BP. He was just a very hard working guy. You can’t imagine anything bad would ever happen to someone like him. He was a very nice, friendly, very funny type of individual. He was very family oriented. I know the whole family. They are very close. They all go on vacations together.”
        Max’s mother-in-law, Janelle Bihn, used to work for Alan Miller Jewelers, he said.
        Her daughter, Darah, was married to Max.
        Miller said he had charms made with Ben’s and Max’s photos on them, to give to their mother. Each of the widows received charms with photos of their husbands and children on them. Miller’s son Cody presented them to Ben’s and Max’s mother, and their widows on Wednesday morning.
        “The charms are on a chain so they can wear them around their necks,” he said.
       
Culver’s
        The fast food restaurant on Navarre Avenue, was swamped with customers on Tuesday to support a fundraiser that earmarked 20 percent of profits to the Morrissey families. A line of vehicles that usually snakes its way from Navarre Avenue to the popular burger restaurant’s drive-thru was even longer on Tuesday in support of the families.
        “The line was backed up onto the road almost to St. Charles Hospital,” Chelsey Nievaard, Culver’s general manager, told The Press on Wednesday.
        The restaurant has done “share night” previously, she said.
        “It’s something we do frequently, but because this was an Oregon family, we decided to do an all-day event from 10:30 a.m. to closing time instead of the usual 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. We also upped the proceeds to the families from a 10 percent to a 20 percent share. So we had that going all day on Tuesday. We also had a donation bin out front for anyone who wanted to contribute something extra in addition to what we were doing,” she said.
        The community’s support was overwhelming, she added.
        “We got a lot of customers. I posted on Oregon’s community page on Facebook about the fundraiser. Oregon is involved in pretty much everything. If you have a question, everyone answers it. I knew it would take off if I posted it. But I didn’t realize it would take off nearly as far as it did. Oregon showed up to this event. It was really cool to see the outpouring of love, especially from people who don’t know the family. They just cared,” she said.
        Culver’s tripled its normal sales volume on Tuesday, she added, but declined to disclose the amount until she informs the family.
        “I do have a final number of how much was raised, but I want to talk to the family first on Friday,” she said.
       
Dairy Depot
        The ice cream shop on Navarre Avenue, is holding a raffle that will go until October 9. There are 1,000 raffle tickets to sell.
        One ticket sells for $10, three tickets for $25. The raffle includes a Dairy Depot sweatshirt, long sleeve shirt and a $25 gift card to Dairy Depot.
        To purchase tickets, go to Dairy Depot. 3708 Navarre Ave. Donations are also welcome.
        The drawing for the winning ticket will be October 10th at 12 p.m. All proceeds will go to the Morrissey families.
        On its Facebook page, Dairy Depot posted the following comment: “We are so grateful to the Oregon Community for being so generous! In just the first three days of the raffle, we have raised $1,600.”
       
Union
        Bryan Sidel, secretary treasurer of United Steel Workers Local 1-346, said the union has established a fundraiser to help the families.         
        “It will go on as long as it’s necessary,” said Sidel.
        The public can go to the union’s website at www.usw 1-346 to fill out a purchase order for T-shirts with Ben’s and Max’s names on them. Proceeds go towards the families.
        The union has also set up The Ben and Max Morrissey Fund, Croghan Colonial Bank, 4157 Navarre Ave., Oregon OH  43616. Other ways to donate include Venmo @USW1-346, PayPal usw346hall@yahoo.com Memorial contributions can also be made at the union hall at USW Local 1-346, 2910 Consaul St., Toledo, OH 43605.
 
Sun Federal
        Donations are now able to be directly accepted to The Morrissey Children's Trust account at Sun Federal Credit Union. Funds donated to this account will benefit the Morrissey families.
        Sun Federal membership is not required to donate. Donations are fully open to the community and will be accepted at any Sun Federal branch in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
        This Trust serves as the home for donations made to The Morrissey Children's Trust campaign on GoFundMe. Those wishing to contribute may donate directly via Sun Federal, or through GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-morrissey-childrens-trust.
        Over $31,000 has already been raised from over 250 donations. For any questions concerning the Fund or how to donate, please contact Sun Federal at 800-786-.0945 during normal business hours or visit in-person at your local branch.
        If you are planning a fundraiser for the Morrissey families, please contact The Press Newspapers at 419-836-2221 so we may publish the information.

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