SANDY, Utah — A longtime Canyons School District teacher is recovering after her home caught fire last month. Now, the community is rallying around her with the same kindness she has spent decades teaching.
“She teaches her students to always be kind, and it will come back around. And it’s coming back around to her right now," Tiffany Smith, a second-grade teacher at Granite Elementary, said. "That’s really special to see.”
On January 21st, Karen Fitch, a retired teacher now a substitute and science program volunteer, was bringing third graders in from lunch when she got a call no homeowner ever wants to receive. “I got a phone call from my neighbor who told me that my house was on fire," Karen Fitch said. "It was very frightening."
She rushed home to find firefighters outside her home. She says her son and their three dogs made it out safely, but the home was left unlivable. Back at Granite Elementary, word spread quickly. Dozens of handwritten cards were given to their beloved Ms. Fitch.
One letter from a student read: “You are a great science teacher, and I hope your dogs are ok. You are so positive, I just want to give you cotton candy.”
Another letter read: “I’m really sorry this happened to you, I would rather it happen to me.”
Support poured in from parents, coworkers, and even former students. “It’s just been a whirlwind of this love from the community," Fitch said. "It’s just been overwhelming.”
As Fitch looks for a new place to live, she's staying with a long-time friend, Lisa Hekking, who's a third-grade teacher at Granite Elementary.
Hekking says Fitch’s dedication to students never stopped, even after the fire. “On the day of the fire, the first thing she brought out were her science files and she said, ‘well I needed my files, I have to teach science.’”
A GoFundMe created for Fitch surpassed its goal of $25,000. Now, she’s focused on the next step, finding a home to rent so she, her son, and their three dogs can live together again.
“How generous and loving the community is," Fitch said through tears. "The love, it's everywhere. It's mind-boggling."
