January 10, 2014 By JOANNE SHRINER Church Fire Victim Recovering; Fundraiser Planned For Friday STAFF WRITER The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 9 OCEAN CITY – The woman battling back from injuries sustained in last year’s St. Paul’s by the Sea Episcopal Church fire was released from the hospital over the weekend and the community is planning to come together for a fundraiser this Friday. The benefit for Dana Truitt will be held Jan. 10 from 5-9 p.m. at Seacrets on 49th Street. The event will include lite dinner fare, beer and “He was able to grab my right wine, live music, a silent auction side,” she said at that time. “He and 50/50 raffle. grabbed me and said ‘you’re not going anywhere’ and I Marianne Buas, said ‘you watch me.’ owner of the That’s what I did … I Buckingham Motel, awas outside and I startlong with her husband, ed to take my clothes off Spiro, are spearheading when the fire company the fundraiser as Truitt finally showed up,” she and her fiancé have said. “They said ‘come been long-time employon, get in the ambuees of the hotel. lance’ and I walked to “She [Truitt] volunthe ambulance and teers at the church three DANA TRUITT that’s when they started days a week, which is cutting the rest of my clothes off. amazing … because a lot of people donate their money but because They said ‘Dana, we don’t know she doesn’t have much money she how you’re doing it honey, but donated her time,” Buas said. “She you’re talking and can you tell us doesn’t have much and these bills what happened and everything. I she is getting are going to be tough. was telling them what was going She was in the hospital for over a on.” Truitt did not wake up until nine month. She is going to have to be in physical therapy several days a days later in the hospital suffering week here in Berlin and she will from third-degree burns. She was have to be taking trips to Baltimore released last weekend. [Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Reached on Monday, Truitt was Center] every week.” in good spirits and happy to be In developing the fundraiser, the home in Ocean City. Although she Buas family has found helping has not fully recovered, she hopes hands along the way. Julie Smith of to attend the fundraiser on Friday the Angler Restaurant will be pre- for at least an hour or so. paring the food and collecting dona“I am healing up fine. The doctors tions from other restaurants for the keep saying how happy they are event, as well as Seacrets providing with the way my face and arm are the space and beer and wine, and healing,” Truitt said. “It is just wonGreene Turtle North being a ticket derful that everybody has come tooutlet, along with many others. gether for somebody that they don’t “Everybody we call is eager to even know to help and support donate something,” Buas said. them. I am so grateful … if it wasn’t Truitt was spending her morning for Spiro and Marianne, I don’t think at the church’s rectory, which was I would be this far.” home to the Shepherd’s Crook food Tickets for the Dana Truitt Fundpantry, on Nov. 26 to prepare for a raiser are $20 in advance or $25 at community Thanksgiving dinner the door. Tickets can be purchased when tragedy struck. 12417 Ocean Gateway #C24, at The investigation into the fire re- Greene Turtle North on 116th vealed a suspect, later identified as Street, at the Madison Beach Motel John Raymond Sterner, 56, of on 9 North Baltimore Ave., or call Ocean City, purchased gasoline at Buas at 443-497-0524 or Jessica a nearby Shell station at the foot of Lynch at 410-726-0736. the Route 50 Bridge, walked severDonations are welcome at OCal blocks to Baltimore Avenue, Rooms.com through the website’s doused himself in gasoline, set him- donation link on the main page. The self on fire and then entered the method of payment on the website Shepherd’s Crook. is through PayPal. Sterner was found deceased inAn account has been opened in side the building by first-arriving fire- her name at the Bank of Ocean City fighters. During a search of the sec- titled the Dana Truitt Donation ond floor of the structure, firefighters Fund. Donations can be made at found the church pastor, Rev. David any Bank of Ocean City branch or Dingwall, who was unconscious and by mail to the Dana Truitt Donation later succumbed to his injuries. Fund, c/o Bank of Ocean City, P.O. In a telephone interview with The Box 150, Ocean City, Md. 21843. Dispatch from her hospital room at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in early December, Truitt recounted the events just prior to and after the blaze. Truitt said she saw Sterner set himself on fire and come directly into the church rectory. Sterner attempted to prevent her from fleeing, but she was able to force her way past him. However, she was not able to get by the burning man before he came into contact with her and caught her on fire as well. RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED CALL 410-524-8202 OR BOOK ONLINE: WWW.OCFRESCOS.COM 82ND ST. & COASTAL HWY., OCEAN CITY OPEN EVERY DAY AT 4 P.M. 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