LOUISBURG, Kan. — On Sunday, the Drexel, Missouri, community crossed the state line to gather with the Louisburg, Kansas, community as both towns mourned the loss of Anthony Juarez.
Juarez, a firefighter for the Drexel Fire Department, lived in Louisburg and worked for Agape's Grace Inc., which provides services to adults with disabilities in Louisburg.
"Our town is shook absolutely to its core, and I know that Drexel is, too," said Sarah Simmons, a friend of Juarez.
On Tuesday, March 18, Juarez and his wife Devin were inside a building in the 900 block of West Amity Street in Louisburg when a man drove his pickup truck through the building. Both Juarez and his wife were injured.
Juarez succumbed to his injuries Tuesday night while Devin is expected to recover from her injuries, according to a press release from the Drexel Police Department.
RELATED | Drexel, Missouri, firefighter killed Tuesday after being struck by pickup truck
Simmons organized a pancake benefit for Devin and her four children she shared with Anthony at Louisburg's American Legion. Initially, the event was set to be hosted at a local church, but the interest was so great, it was moved to a larger space.
"The overwhelming response — I knew everybody was going to show up," she said. "They always show up."
Simmons flipped pancakes for over a thousand people in the event's first two hours. She said the goal of the day was to raise $10,000, but donations added up to over $15,000 within two hours.
"It's so great to see how much so many people love that family," she said. "This is a testament, also, for what Anthony Juarez was to not just people but full communities."
In addition to his work as a firefighter and with Agape's Grace., Juarez was known for coaching his kid's sports teams, being a family man and his love for music. His band, 68 Overpass, performed at Drexel's Pumpkin Fest and other local venues, according to the Drexel Police Department.
Among those at the pancake benefit were members of Anthony Juarez's family. His father told KSHB 41 News the turnout at the pancake benefit showed him the impact his son had on the community.
But the community's response goes beyond the pancake benefit. Just a five-minute drive from the American Legion, 18-year-old Sammie Magee is collecting donations — toys, household necessities and gift cards — for the Juarez family.
"We had an $800 [Amazon] list completely cleared," she said.
She worked with people close to the family to figure out what kind of toys the Juarez children liked.
Magee established Sammie's Toy Drive, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, three years ago following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
RELATED | Kansas teen collects holiday toys for Uvalde community
She visits Uvalde every year to host an event for victims and their families and to gift the toys she's collected through donations.
"Everything I do is to share their kindness, the victims from Robb Elementary School," she said.
Right now, Magee is sharing their kindness closer to home with her Louisburg neighbors.
"It's really neat to see the community coming together like this," she said. "I hate this is what it took to see that."
Magee has received some of the wishlist items, and once all have been delivered, she'll create a gift basket to give to the family.
The Amazon wishlist for the Juarez family can be found here.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
