ST. PAUL, Minn. – A person at the state fair has been soliciting donations under the false pretense of raising money to help rebuilding efforts at Minnehaha Academy.
The school announced on its website Monday that they have been made aware of an individual standing near the entrance of the State Fair in St. Paul. The person has a laminated sign with the Minnehaha Academy’s name and logo, but there is no tie between this person and the school, and the school is now warning people sympathetic to their tragedy to stay away from that person.
“Please know that this is NOT a legitimate fundraiser for the school,” the academy’s website informs visitors. “This person is in no way affiliated with Minnehaha Academy.”
A natural gas leak led to a major explosion at the academy, causing a large portion of the building to collapse, Alpha News reported. Janitor John Carson and receptionist Ruth Berg were killed in the explosion, while several other school employees were injured in the blast.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) took control of the investigation into how and why the explosion at Minnehaha Academy occured. The investigation could take up to a full year to reach a conclusion.
Minnehaha Academy is a private Christian school in Minneapolis serving students from Kindergarten through grade 12.
The school encourages anyone wishing to make a donation to go through the school’s official website donation page. An alumni of the school has also set up a GoFundMe page, which is targeting $250,000 in donations. So far it has raised more than $14,500 from over 100 donors in 25 days.
“We are overwhelmed by the support of our community during this tragedy in the life of our school,” the school’s statement says. “However, we know that there are people who wish to take advantage of this situation.”
