Donations get Ann Arbor firefighter back on the ice and help family of woman killed in car crash
Ann Arbor firefighter John Maguire was simply hoping someone would find his stolen hockey equipment so he could get back on the ice. He never imagined the community response to his story.
Maguire is back playing hockey now, thanks to donated new equipment. And the generosity was so great that he gave nearly $1,000 to the family of a woman killed in a car crash in late September.
Maguire was off duty and was driving home in rural western Washtenaw County when he saw a car on its side burning near the intersection of Dancer and Jackson roads in Lima Township late on the evening of Sept. 25.
The car had sped off an I-94 bridge overhead, landed in the street and burst into flames. Maguire kicked out the back window, and, together with others who had stopped, pulled the woman from the car and to the side of the road.
Despite their attempts to stabilize and save her, 57-year-old Michelle Adriann Stoj of Willis was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:30 p.m.
While Maguire had worked to save Stoj's life, someone made off with his hockey gear. The bag full of roughly $500 worth of hockey equipment fell out the back of the truck and was taken from the scene.
Maguire, who has played on a recreational hockey league with other firefighters, was forced to drop out after his equipment went missing.
Donations started pouring in after AnnArbor.com published a story about the rescue attempt and the theft. Other local media outlets also picked up on the story.
The Ann Arbor firefighters union said donations large and small came in.
D & D Bicycles and Hockey in Waterford and Play It Again Sports in Ann Arbor gave brand-new gear. Royal-West Roofing and Sheet Metal in Whitmore Lake donated a significant check.
The owners of the UPS Store on South Main Street in Ann Arbor donated $35. A citizen in southeast Ann Arbor added $50. The University of Michigan Survival Flight donated a couple shirts to replace the clothing ruined while Maguire was at the accident. Boy Scout Troop 312 in Pinckney donated a new fire extinguisher for Maguire to carry in his truck.
And the Wayne County Community College Fire Training Academy held a potluck dinner and collected $45. That came with a note from the firefighters-in-training that said, “To John Maguire, the kind of fire fighter we all aspire to be.”
Maguire said he was overwhelmed.
"I was just hoping somebody found my stuff, and the incredible generosity of people was very surprising," Maguire said.
He was back on the ice within two weeks, using the new equipment and a replacement jersey he bought with donated money.
But he had nearly $1,000 in donations left over.
"I didn't feel right keeping any of that, so I wanted the family to have it to use for funeral expenses or donate to a charity in her name," Maguire said.
Maguire stressed that the family's loss was the most important aspect of the story. Stoj's family members could not be reached for comment.
“My first thoughts are for Ms. Stoj’s family," he said. "They lost a family member that night, and she can never be replaced. I wished I could have done more for her. That’s the real tragedy. But I’m very grateful for all the wonderful people and businesses in our community."
And Maguire's original hope that someone would find his missing equipment also didn't go unanswered. A couple weeks ago, Michigan State Police troopers contacted him after finding the discarded bag of gear near Chelsea.
It had been there for some time — a nest was inside, and Maguire found chewed nuts and other evidence that an animal may have been living in there, he said.
Most of the gear was ruined, but a couple of items were salvageable, he said.
Maguire said he was glad to get to know Stoj's family and experience the generosity of the community.
"It’s amazing how people that don’t know you will step up and help you out," he said.
Comments
Mamacita Linda
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 10:27 p.m.
@scooterdog: Wag More, Bark Less I know John also and he takes care of a large family. They live modestly without many of the extras that many enjoy. Not the best off and not the worst off. Regardless, they are a happy, appreciative, hard-working, decent and generous family. Instead of profiting at the expense of another person, he chose to "pay it forward" by giving the majority of the money raised to the family of the woman who died. He also understands that he is not the center of this situation, and would rather that the crash victim had never suffered. We're glad he's back on the ice!
YpsiLivin
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 10:10 p.m.
scooter dog, I'm pretty sure you'll find this hard to relate to, but the guy has a wife and family at home. I'm sure his salary is spoken for many times over. Since he probably has to make decisions about how to spend his check, new hockey gear is likely a much lower priority than paying bills and feeding kids. John didn't ask for help; he chose to stop playing hockey because he didn't have his equipment anymore. Other people - without being asked - chose to help him get new hockey equipment. John - without being asked - chose to help the family of the woman who died using the money that others donated to him. Since you were neither asked to help, nor negatively impacted by the generosity of others, what difference does this make to you? By the way, if your house burns down tonight, consider yourself lucky if John Maguire is on duty.
fensk
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 4:24 p.m.
I figure it this way...I make about 40 grand a year. If my laptop..worth about 800 dollars, was stolen, I would not be able to replace it right now. I could replace it fairly soon, maybe save some $$ up. But there are a lot of people who cannot just pull 500 plus dollars out of the bank or where ever at any time. The season was going on now, not in 2 or 3 months or whenever he could get the $ together. Kudos to to him and the kind people that donated.
SemperFi
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 3:13 p.m.
Yo Dog! Nobody asked you to donate.
ResidentAnvil
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.
I am honored and grateful to live in a community that helps to care for others. And, yes, I even feel that way when some are only interested in starting an argument! (see above...)
RuralMom
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.
Scooter Dog, did you READ this article and the original when this happened? This man was NOT on duty, he stopped anyway to render assistance and was ripped off while doing so. What does a persons wages have to with a community rallying to give back to him what he has been giving to the community? More community members helping one another, much much less of the Scooter Dog's of the world please.
huh7891
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 1:46 p.m.
scooterdog, I read the original story..he never solicited donations. As I understood the story (and I am a reasonably intelligent person) the article highlighted how he tried to save someones life and while he was doing this, someone made off with his hockey equipment. End of story. What he did was pretty outstanding to say the least. You can spin it how you want. They were donations that people wanted to give, quit trying to make him look like a villian.
scooter dog
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 1:41 p.m.
I was wrong Its $57.000 average wage for a A2 firefighter
scooter dog
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 1:26 p.m.
To all who think I am wrong. I am sorry but I don't buy the excause for accepting donations for $500.00 of hockey equiptment weather he asked for them or not. I also don't buy the crutch of him being in debt so much that he can't afford to buy his own gear. Any donations he got for doing his everyday job should have been given to the dead womans family. I know people who know him and he is far,far from being in debt so much that he can't afford to buy his own gear Its a total sham to receive donations when you make $40.000 plus per year.
aamom
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 1:06 p.m.
@scooter dog - If I remember the original story correctly, he didn't solicit donations. He simply stated he couldn't afford to replace the equipment. Whether you find $40,000 to be a lot of money or not, you don't know his debt situation etc. to know whether it would be easy or financially prudent to replace the equipment. I think people gave donations as a reward for upstanding citizen behavior not because they thought he was underpaid.
scooter dog
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 12:50 p.m.
I find it very hard to fathom that a Ann Artbor firefighter employed by them needs to solicit donations to buy him new Hockey equiptment. Last time I checked they make $40.000 per year plus. I guess I am real cold,but I don't see the need for donations and most whom I have talked to don't see it either.
Killroy
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 9:55 a.m.
Bravo!
gobluefnp
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 9:27 a.m.
Kudos to John Maguire for being the human that he is. Kudos to our community for stepping up to support someone who puts his life on the line daily.
greymom
Mon, Nov 22, 2010 : 6:54 a.m.
I wish we had more good stories instead of all the bad one!! There are good people in this world!! Koodoo's to the firefighter and the folks that made the donations!