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Friends of the Michelle and Denis Mogil family held a benefit party Saturday to help raise funds to restore their house, which burned down April 1st.  "We wanted to raise some money to reach those final costs.  We collected some raffle items from local businesses and a few people brought down some items and every hour we're having a drawing," said AnnMarie Hautaniemi.

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"I think it's really tremendous of the community to come together like this.  The thing that strikes me about Lansing is they're an extremely caring community and always willing to pull out the stops."  People brought a dish to pass and put money and checks into a large jar.  Lansing band Aestival was on hand to provide music, as well as Ithaca College radio DJ Christopher Wilson.  Friends and well-wishers attended, including members of the Ithaca/Cayuga Rotary Club and the Lansing Lions Club.

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Local people and businesses donated items for the raffle including a gift certificate from the Sub Shop and Rogues Harbor, a plant from Baker's Acres, Carquest donated a drill bit set.  Other prizes included a coffee grinder and a Lansing Star sweatshirt.

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Aestival (left to right)  Tom Kraft (saxaphone), Sam Mason (bass), Damien Dodge (drums), Alyssa Halton (lead singer),  and
Peter McHugh (standing in on guitar for keyboardist Andrew Allen who is spending the summer in Asia)

On April 1the Mogil family awoke before 5am to find their Asbury Road home in flames.  The house and its contents were a total loss, but miraculously the whole family, exchange student Ryszard Jarmuszewski, their pet snake and one of their three cats survived.

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(Standing, left to right) Ryszard Jarmuszewski, Michelle Mogil, Sarah Mogil, (kneeling) Dennis Mogil, Malcom the Dog

Part of the proceeds went to the Lansing Lions Myers Park Band Stand project.  "When my father passed away in December my brothers and sisters and I got together," Michelle Mogil said.  "We wanted to do something in Dad's memory.  He always loved the music in the park (see story on this summer's concert series).  So we were going to pool our money and this money toward the band stand they are building.  We thought this would be a great way to give the fund a kick start.  Dad did so much for this community we thought that we'd give back a little bit and see that he is remembered."

Michelle says the house is demolished and they're going to start rebuilding.  "Now there's just a big hole in the ground," she says.  "We're just waiting on finalizing the new house plans and getting permits so that we can start rebuilding.  They had to take everything out.  It was a complete loss."

"When they hear about a house burning down peoples' first reaction is 'what can I do?'" Hautaniemi says.  "This is a result of asking 'what can I do.'"

If you missed the party and want to contribute send donations c/o AnnMarie Hautaniemi  2776 Triphammer Rd.  Ithaca, NY 14850

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