Community organizations are collecting money to help the surviving family of a mother and two children killed in a house fire last week.
By: Donna Lukiw
A Manville church, a local pub and the Weston PTA are among the community organizations collecting money to help the surviving family of a mother and two young children who were killed in a fatal house fire on South Fifth Avenue last week.
An electrical fire in the three-unit building at 210-212 S. Fifth Avenue claimed the lives of Tubal Eduardo Jr., 5, Angelina Eduardo, 4, and their mother, Heather Marchie on March 12. Funeral services for the family members were held Monday in Somerville.
Now, Tubal Eduardo Sr., and his 2-year-old son, Noah, who was rescued by neighbors, have to begin rebuilding their lives. To help Mr. Eduardo and Noah, several local groups are organizing benefit fundraisers, and the Weston PTA has collected nearly $10,000 in donations.
Pourman’s Pub on South Main Street is holding a benefit for the family at 9 p.m. Saturday, featuring three bands playing throughout the night. The lineup includes Manville’s own The Vivid Twisted, the South Jersey band Apply Pressure, and Bound Alive from Newark. "We’re donating all the money to (the Eduardos)," Alysia Salter, a bartender at Pourman’s Pub said. "A couple of the members of the band, Vivid Twisted, grew up with Mr. Eduardo."
Only patrons 21 and over will be allowed into the show and a $10 minimum donation will be collected at the door. But Ms. Salter said people under 21 can drop off money" at the door if they want to help.
For more information contact Ms. Salter at 334-6585.
The Rev. Matthew Moriak and parishioners of the Holy Ghost Orthodox Church on South Sixth Avenue are planning a quieter event an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner at the church from noon to 5 p.m. April 21. Dinner will include spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, salad, bread, drink and dessert with all proceeds benefiting the Eduardo family. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Take-out platters will also be available.
For more information contact Father Moriak at 725-3385.
Meanwhile, the Weston Elementary School PTA collection for the family may reach $10,000 before the end of the week, PTA President May Ellen Zangara said. Tubal Eduardo Jr. was attending kindergarten at the school.
"We’ve gotten checks from all over," Ms. Zangara said. "We’ve received checks from Illinois and Washington, D.C."
Donations can be sent to Weston PTA Eduardo Family Fund either in care of the school, at 600 Newark Ave., Manville, 08835, or to the Manville Area Federal Credit Union, 43 S. Main St., Manville, which has a dedicated account for the donations.
Donations can also be dropped off at the school.
Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said the fire originated in the first-floor living room located in unit 212, where Mr. Eduardo had fallen asleep on the sofa bed. The fire started between the sofa bed and the south wall where a 15-foot long extension cord was plugged into a five-outlet power strip. A television, stereo and battery charger were all plugged into the power strip.
The three victims were trapped on the second floor in a bedroom directly above the room where the fire started. As the fire grew, the flames burned the floor joist, causing the second floor to collapse into the living room, where the bodies were found.

