To the Editor:

May 13, 2011 was initially one if not the most devastating days in my family’s lives. We lost everything that night to a horrific fire at 325 Gulf Rd. in Colton.

Our home, vehicles, personal belongings and things that can’t be replaced like kindergarten drawings and growth lines on a special wall that recorded Gavin, Gyle’s and our dog’s height each year.

But Friday the 13th wasn’t an unlucky day for us. This day will not be remembered by what we lost but by what we gained.

How do we begin to portray to everyone how lucky we are and what we have learned about the residents of Colton and people we need to thank?

Let’s start with Ms. Ashley Rose of Potsdam who took the time to make a phone call to her boyfriend James Reichert of Colton to say she saw a glow that didn’t look right in our garage.

James then took the time to call our son Gavin who then called home which woke us up from a sound sleep to say there might be a fire in the garage. Thank you Ashley and James.

Then there were all of the fire fighters who dropped what they were doing to come to our aid and tirelessly fought flames, explosions and shattering glass to help us. Again, thank you.

There were also the family and friends that showed up that night to hug us and give us words of support in our time of need, thank you.

Since that night we never could have imagined how much community support we would receive and the outpouring of clothes, food, money and offers from neighbors to open their homes to us to give us a place to sleep.

Girlfriends who spent their Sunday afternoon salvaging wet pictures that were brought out of the fire from the firemen, and phone calls and prayers from so many offering to help in any way they can. There is not enough room to list everyone who has helped us these past three weeks.

Words can’t express how grateful we are and we will never be able to thank the residents of Colton enough for what they have done and what they mean to us.

So the moral of the story is the next time Friday the 13th rolls around we won’t be sad or superstitious; we will be happy because we know we are the luckiest people around.

Even the looters who broke into our camper and GMC pickup two weeks later and caused a lot of damage will not dampen our spirit.

Thank you to everyone and God bless, we love you.

Gary, Shelley, Gavin, and

Gyle Rayner

Colton