Bethlehem Residents Anna Smith and Cesar Cordova held a fundraising event at Venture X Feb. 29, seeking to raise money to support students and schools in Vina de Mar, Chile after devastating forest fires rolled down the mountains and destroyed a large part of the seaside city. The Bethlehem couple met when she went to Chile and taught in his hometown of Vina de Mar, which is Chile’s fourth largest city. To date they have raised $5,000 to help with the recovery efforts.

Cordova said many people, including nearly 100 of his former students, lost everything, including their pets. “Anything helps,’ said Cordova. As he spoke, a nearby slide presentation showed photographs sent to him by former students depicting the over whelming devastation. More than 100 people died, scores more are missing, and thousands of homes were destroyed.

Maria Jose Maturana, a Ben Franklin Partnership employee in attendance who is also from Chile, says that her parents are among those who lost everything. “They are living with other family now,” she says, “and are starting to clean up.” “They are alive, that’s what’s important,” she adds.

Funding collected by Smith who is executive director at CADC, and Cordova, who is a teacher in the BASD, will be used to help schools rebuild and provide students with school supplies.

Anyone interested in supporting the their cause can go the GoFundMe page atgofundme.com/f/arriba-chile-wildfire-relief-for-families.