In the days following the deaths of a Mount Desert Island hospital employee and her two young grandchildren, who had just left the wedding of her son and their parents, the island community has rallied together to raise more than $98,000 for the grieving newlyweds.
Maine State Police are investigating the deaths of Sharon Bukulmez, 61, Kinsley Grubb, 5, and Sawyer Grubb, 3, who were found dead in a submerged vehicle in the Down East community of Roque Bluffs.
Police have not yet determined how the family ended up in the quiet pocket of Roque Bluffs, according to Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety. The trio were supposed to drive to a Machias rental cabin after leaving the Jonesboro wedding venue around 8:30 p.m.
The weekend tragedy has raised questions about the safety of the boat ramp on Schoppee Point Road that leads directly into the ocean. But it’s also an example of how Mainers, particularly those in small, close-knit communities like MDI, come together when catastrophe strikes.
“This happened to our family at a time of celebration, love and family,” the children’s aunt wrote on Facebook. “We are all still quite numb and trying to be there for them as much as possible. We are all overwhelmed by the love from our communities.”
Various community members have established at least six fundraisers on behalf of the couple since the weekend tragedy. The donations are intended to offset the financial burden on the newlyweds, who just paid for a wedding, and will now be responsible for funeral costs, according to multiple social media posts.
In under four days, a GoFundMe dedicated to the Grubbs has raised $98,212 from more than 650 donors. Local businesses like Witham Family Hotels of Bar Harbor and AC Parsons Landscaping Inc. of Tremont have donated $1,000 and $1,500, respectively.
A donation account in the name of the Grubb family was opened at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, according to one relative’s Facebook page.
Next Level Sports Lounge in Southwest Harbor is hosting a fundraising dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with all proceeds going to the Grubbs, according to a social media post. The $30 event will cover a dinner buffet and raffle tickets.
On Oct. 4, a crafting event organized by EC Hot Mess Station, an online crafting community, will be held in the family’s honor.
One of the children’s aunts, Amanda Holland, is producing custom car decals, for $10 to $20 depending on the size, in honor of Sharon, Kinsley and Sawyer. All proceeds will be given to the Grubb parents, she told the Bangor Daily News.
The support has not been only financial. As a swarm of reporters descended on the small Washington County town after the Sunday morning discovery, mourners have banded together to protect the anguished parents, Peter and Rebecca Grubb.
Many people have refused to speak to media outlets, but others have used the spotlight to share fundraisers and donation opportunities dedicated to the Grubb family.
After one TV crew spoke to Peter Grubb outside his home Monday, the day after the deaths of his two children and mother, Holland and others expressed anger on social media that reporters would bother the family at such a time.
The interview led family members to decline future media requests, Holland told the BDN.
When the BDN contacted a string of Grubb family members, friends and acquaintances, most acknowledged the importance of honoring Bukulmez, Kinsley and Sawyer for who they were rather than how they died, but would not speak with the media while the deaths were so raw.
Each said the Grubb parents should decide when to share their children and mother’s legacy.
Oka Hutchins, a spokesperson for MDI Health, where Bukulmez was employed for more than 15 years, would only say the hospital community is “deeply saddened by this devastating loss” and are not commenting further out of respect for the family.
Bukulmez and her two young grandchildren were not the first deaths near the Roque Bluffs boat ramp. In 2013, two women, one of whom was 5 months pregnant, drowned on a foggy July night after driving off the ramp. Following their deaths, town officials placed signage before the ramp, warning unfamiliar drivers of the road’s drop off.
Since the latest deaths, town officials have installed a temporary barrier by the boat ramp. A movable gate could be in place by Friday, Town Manager Jennifer Moore told WABI TV.
Moore was in mandatory election training Thursday, according to a part-time town clerk, and could not be reached for comment.