Residents of Big Lake and surrounding areas still remember the heart-wrenching news of the Karen Ln. fire of April, 2019. Recently, Kim Moffitt, the grandmother of the children who died in the fire, held a benefit in their honor. The funds raised from the benefit went to Big Lake Police and Fire Departments.

The Karen Ln. Fire

Anthony Parker, for reasons unknown, set fire to his home on Karen Ln. in Big Lake in the very early hours of the morning while he and his children were inside the home. The children’s mother, Jessica, was not at home at the time of the fire. The two older children, Evan, 9, and Averie, 10, were able to escape the house and survive the fire, but Anthony Parker and the two toddlers, Landon, 2, and Spencer, 1, died from their injuries.

The family still doesn’t know what caused Parker to start the fire. “We just don’t know,” said grandmother Kim Moffitt. “We loved him. He was a great dad.”

Parker and his two babies were buried together.

A Pay-it-Forward Benefit

After a year and a half of grieving, Moffitt decided to organize a benefit in honor of Landon and Spencer. Moffitt said that the BLPD and the BLFD both supported the family well after the fire was put out. They answered all the questions the family had, and they purchased Christmas gifts for the two kids who survived the fire.

The fundraiser took place at Pine Ridge Golf Club two weeks ago. The funds raised will be used to “pay it forward.” The money will help the BLPD and BLFD continue to respond in emergency situations and support families in crisis. Nearly $4,300 was raised for each department.

Some of the money was also donated to The Wave Youth Center in memory of Dylan Pishney, a Big Lake teenager who recently committed suicide.

Moffitt hopes to make the benefit an annual event.