A memorial park bench dedicated to two sisters who lost their lives in a Hellertown house fire more than a year ago will hopefully provide peace and comfort to all who knew them.
That was the message shared by speakers at a dedication ceremony held in the borough’s Dimmick Park Tuesday afternoon.
Abigail Kaufman and Brianna Baer died when their home on Linden Avenue caught fire on April 1, 2022. Officials say a hoverboard that is now recalled was the fire’s point of origin.
Both girls were students at local schools and their loss has been a trauma not only for their family and friends, but also for the community, speakers at the ceremony said.
“Today is a very hard day,” said Hellertown Mayor David Heintzelman. “We miss them. We love them.”
“I hope and pray that we can continue the healing process that has been so hard for everyone,” he added.
Money for the memorial was raised by the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce, which partnered with local businesses for a campaign called “Funds for the Family.”
“We are a chamber of commerce, but also a chamber of community,” said Lehigh Valley Chamber Executive Vice President Jessica O’Donnell-Gower.
Planted on either side of the bench–which is at the north end of the park, near Durham Street–are two cherry trees donated to enhance the area by local developer Lou Pektor.
Pektor said the girls’ parents selected the trees from a nursery he owns last year, and noted that they were chosen because they will bloom around the anniversary of their death.
The dedication ceremony concluded with a moment of silence.