Ernie Gygax, son of the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons Gary Gygax, recently lost his home to an electrical fire on Sunday morning, February 17. He was helped by an anonymous man driving a white truck who took command of the situation and rescued Ernie, his roommate, and his dog. As Gygax reported to Lake Geneva News:
Scott's there, kind of dazed. This guy (who alerted them about the fire) is cool. He's like in charge. He calls my dog right away. My dog normally doesn't respond well to strangers. She's a service animal. She's supposed to just pay attention to me. Well, she goes right to his car, which is unheard of.
When Ernie tried to return to the house, the stranger wouldn't let him for his own safety:
I run out with my wallet and phone and pants and shirt. I throw it in my car. I'm getting ready to go rushing back in (to the apartment) to get my coat, socks and shoes. This guy gets in the way and won't let me go back in.
After conferring with emergency personnel to make sure everything was under control, the mysterious benefactor got back in his truck and left the scene. Unfortunately, Ernie's insurance will cover only part of everything lost in the fire:
Most of my cools things were destroyed. I'll get money for my computer, and it will be replaced. My two first issues of Gygax magazine are burned, gone. My value of each item is so much, and that's what I can get (from insurance). They depreciate the value, then give you half of that in cash. If you buy that item, you get the other half. If you buy something cheaper, you just get the difference in the cost.
Fans who would like to help Ernie can bid in Gygax Magazine's eBay auctions, sales of which will be donated to help get Ernie back on his feet:
Proceeds from any and all donations or auctions will be placed in a trust to allow Ernie to recover the personal possessions lost due to the tragedy. While his original works of his father can never be replaced, your contributions will ease the loss.
You can also donate directly using PayPal on that site. For questions please see the Facebook page or ErniesFund@gygaxmagazine.com.
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