Neighborhood Kids Raise Money After Blaze

Across the street from a neighbor's lemonade stand sits a charred house.  

On July 1, a fire ravaged the Chitkowski family home, in unincorporated Glen Ellyn, and now the neighborhood kids want to help. 

The blaze broke out around 11:30 a.m. on the Friday before the Fourth of July, and injured one firefighter. The garage seemed to be the only part of the home that was untouched by flames.

Last week, across the street, a group of middle school kids sat at a cardboard table with a cooler of lemonade, chanting at those who passed, trying to get them to donate money that will help the Chitkowski family.

"We felt bad for them," said Tony Longo, a neighbor and sixth-grader at . 

The Chitkowski girls are well-known in the community for their athletic ability, and neighbor Sean McLaughlin said all the memorabilia from their achievements were lost in the fire. 

"They won a lot of tournaments and all their trophies got melted," said McLaughlin. 

The kids wanted to help, any way they could, so they opened up a lemon "aide" stand across the street from what's left of the Chitkowski home. 

"We also felt like 'what if this happened to us?'" said Dale Nelson, a sixth-grader at Glen Crest. 

The boys say they can't imagine losing all their belongings. But the most important lesson they learned after the fire was simple: get out first and then worry about the belongings. 

Luckily, the Chitkowskis were not home during the time of the fire but neighbors said it was scary how fast the house went up in flames. 

As of Thursday, July 7, the boys collected about $138. It may not be enough to rebuild the home but the boys said it's the thought that counts. 

"Any money is good money," said McLaughlin.