Chandler fundraiser raises more than $20,000

<span>CHESTER -- As expected, there was a large turnout of vehicles and people for Saturday's fundraiser at 1st Class Auto.</span>

<span>Together with Uptown Barbers and several other sponsors, the car wash/silent auction/cookout/50-50 drawing raised a total of $20,424, with all proceeds going toward the Chandler Children's Trust Fund at Buena Vista Bank.</span>

<span>Included in the amount were donations over the past week combined with money from the event itself.</span>

<span> </span>"I honestly don't have words," said 1st Class Auto Owner Johnny Inman. "People have come from everywhere. Different towns have pitched in to come help and it's amazing the number of people who have shown up."

<span>The line for the car wash stretched up State Street at times, as Chester High School cheerleaders and football players helped give each car the soap-and-shine treatment.</span>

<span>"It's hard for some of the family members who showed up," Inman said. "You don't know what to say to them besides 'I'm sorry' and it was a hard day for all of us, I think."</span>

<span>Bret and Toree Chandler were killed in a single-vehicle accident on July 19 on Missouri Route T, seven miles west of Perryville. The exact cause of the accident is unknown, but family members believe the couple swerved to avoid hitting an animal on the road and lost control of the vehicle.</span>

<span>Left behind were the Chandlers' children, 7-year-old Damon and his 8-month-old sister, Fallon. In the days and weeks since the incident, Chester and the surrounding communities have banded together to support the children.</span>

<span>"It's heartwarming," Inman said of the town's reponse. "It really is. It's amazing to see all these people coming for Bret and Toree and for those kids."</span>

<span>On the donation website "Go Fund Me," the Chandlers' fund was up to more than $24,000 as of Sunday evening.</span>

<span>The goal had originally been $20,000 to cover funeral expenses for the parents and education expenses for the children, but that was exceeded before the July 24 funeral at Saint John Lutheran Church in Chester.</span>

<span>"I am so proud of this town," said Chester Mayor Tom Page. "The (residents) actually care for one another and that's why they're here.</span>

<span>"What a turnout."</span>

<span>Page said city residents are "in awe" of the response to the tragedy.</span>

<span>"On top of that, they are very, very charitable," Page said. "People were giving serious amounts of money (on Saturday) and they know it's going for the children.</span>

<span>"That family needs it and this town has proven it's here for it."</span>

<span>At Uptown Barbers, the business had accumulated donations for the silent auction throughout the week. Two of the items were St. Louis Cardinals jerseys, one of which had been worn in the World Series.</span>

<span>"I knew (the fundraiser) was going to be big from the phone calls and the 50-50 tickets people had been buying," said Brad Coleman, co-owner of Uptown Barbers. "This was beyond what I had ever thought and I knew Johnny was the same way.</span>

<span>"When we first started (the fundraiser), it was just a thought between two shops to raise a little money for these two kids and the community jumped all-in."</span>

<span>Coleman said he knew the community would respond to the tragedy as the Chandlers were a well-known and well-liked couple.</span>

<span>"It's such a small community, I had no doubt they would pull together," Coleman said.</span>