Fundraising efforts underway after fire at Frets4Vets

GEORGETOWN, Del. - A workshop used to make guitars for veterans in the Frets4Vets program caught fire early Friday morning. A fundraiser was launched to help pay for the loss and repair the building.

Frets4Vets Founder Tom Baker says he woke up to a text message from his father Friday morning to let him know that a neighbor discovered smoke coming out of the building. 

Firefighters and EMS from Georgetown and the Milton Volunteer Fire Department arrived to the 300 block of Nancy Street just before 7 a.m. on Aug. 2.

The program accepts veterans who have PTSD and depression and teaches them how to play a musical instrument. 

"We teach them a mental focus point through a 16 week course," Baker says.

Baker says the fire marshal told him that the CNC machine that's used to cut guitar bodies caused the fire, but the insurance company is still investigating.

"I lost four guitars that were in process for students that were going to be starting up in the next semester," Baker says. "I lost somewhere north of $90,000 worth of equipment to make those guitars."

Baker says the damage and contents inside the building are adding up towards $200,000, but insurance is only expected to cover $60,000. He says the roof and electrical wiring will need to be replaced and the building will need to be gutted, but the walls and concrete floor can stay. A GoFundMe was launched to help cover the difference.

"It's amazing that the community is wrapping around because at this time of the year, with the economy as it is, it's really difficult to do anything at all, but having people reach out to us has been a nice mood uplifter," Baker says.

Baker expects repairs to take until October, which means he should be able to resume guitar lessons for veterans in the winter. In the meantime, he wants veterans in the program to know they'll still be supported during repairs. 

Lessons do not take place at the workshop that caught fire. They're held at the American Legion Post 28 in Millsboro, the VFW in Federalsburg and at a hotel in Dover.

The Rebuild Frets4Vets fundraiser has a $75,000 goal. It can be found online at gofundme.com.