Local fundraiser collects over $50K for families of 6 Barrie, Ont. crash victims

Donations have been pouring in from across the country and abroad to support the families of six young adults killed in a weekend car crash in Barrie, Ont., with the fundraiser fast approaching its $60,000 goal after just one day online.

Organizer Mary-Anne Frith says she was surprised at how fast donations poured in less than a day after the GoFundMe page went live. 

"We're humbled by it, that's for sure," Frith said during a phone interview.

"We have a community that we rally together, we have each other's backs, and it's really in times like this when you truly do see how people come together for each other."

Curtis King, River Wells, Jason O'Connor, Luke West, Jersey Mitchell and Haley Marin — all believed to be in their 20s — were killed in a single-vehicle collision in the south end of Barrie, about an hour north of Toronto. They were found early Sunday morning.

Frith says she doesn't personally know the victims' families, but says her group Ripple of Kindness started the fundraiser because community members were looking for a way to support those mourning their loved ones.

"Our entire community is definitely been shaken by all of this," she said.

"We just felt compelled that we needed to do something to help these families that were hit with this terrible tragedy."

Frith says the fundraiser, which aims to help cover funeral costs, has been aided by social media, as donations have come in from other counties and even across Canada. Other fundraisers are also running for individual families.

Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman was involved in the early organization of the fundraiser, Frith said, and he has been among those promoting it.

In a Tuesday post on Twitter, the mayor highlighted the GoFundMe page that he said raised