Benefit Evening & Auction Planned for May 23rd.
Saturday, April 18th was a sad day for Kathy and Nelson Bilyea after fire gutted their barn killing 13 of their horses including Nelson's stallion, Ginnin Cowboy and Kathy's mare Bailey .

Nelson and Kathy Bilyea were at their annual spring horse sale in the nearby town of Denfield, when  they received the call that their barn was on fire. The Bilyea's, and their son Darren headed for home, a 20 minute drive to their farm in Granton. There were quite a few others that followed, truck and trailers in tow to see what they could do to help.

Janice Bullock, a close friend of the family commented, "The most feared word in the horse world is 'fire' and it's wonderful to see how everyone comes together when a tragedy like this strikes".

When everyone arrived at the farm, there were horses running everywhere. Kathy's dog Sheena, along with nieghbours,  Dale & Trevor Rohfritsch, Scott Harlton and another unidentified man were credited with herding 24 horses out of, and away from the barn to safety. Unfortunately, in all the panic 2 of the horses ran back into the barn and perished In the fire.

Friends and neighbours have taken in the Bilyea's horses while plans are made to rebuild. Business will continue as usual. Fire officials cannot determine the exact cause of the fire due to the intense heat that caused the total destruction of the barn, however it is thought to be electrical in nature. Fire officials also said that if they would have been another five minutes later in arriving at the scene, the Bilyea's would have also lost the house and tack shop. While the contents of the tack shop seemed undamaged, the exterior of the building did receive serious damage.

The outpouring of assistance continues and to further aid the rebuilding, a fundraiser has been organized by Janice Bolluck. Every one is invited to attend the Benefit Evening & Auction on

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2009
8:00 P.M.– 1:00 A.M.
$10.00 Per Person
There will be a silent auction table and live auction of donated items.
Donations of auction items are greatly appreciated.

For Further Information, Tickets or to make a donation,

Please Contact One Of The Following Individuals:
Janice Bullock @ 519-294-0451
Or by email @ janice.bullock@waglaw.net
Barb McCaughey @ 519-345-2743
Roy Ionson @ 519-363-5598
Greg Wilde @ 905-659-1953
This is an LCBO event – No Minors Please.
The Kirkton Community Centre Is Location On Highway 23 Between London and Mitchell