Iowa communities rally around tragedy

Several Northwest Iowa schools help try to put the pieces back after tragic house fire

Attendees light small candles from the flame of the paschal candle to carry on the walk from Trinity Episcopal Cathedral to ASU's downtown campus in Phoenix on Nov. 20, 2023. | Sam Ballesteros/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sports are so often viewed strictly in black and white, with wins and losses being the ultimate factor.

But in the grand scheme of things, they can serve as a great rallying cry for community support.

That was the case last week when several Northwest Iowa communities came together following a tragic house fire that left three teenagers dead and a fourth seriously injured. 

KTIV.com reported that Kolten Hofmeyer, Bryleigh Koob and Ashton Koob all passed away following a fire that took place outside of Granville, Iowa on Monday, September 1. A fourth, who has yet to be identified, remains in critical condition at a hospital in Minnesota.

Last Thursday night, the MMCRU High School football team hosted a “Purple-Out” to raise money for the families involved in the incident. Remsen St. Mary’s High School also held a collection for donations back to the families.

All Four Students Attended MOC-Floyd Valley High School

MOC-Floyd Valley High School, where the teenagers attended school, went on with its game last week, defeating Unity Christian, 28-18, to improve to 2-0 on the year. 

Both schools opted to play the game while remembering the students, uniting for a whiteout. Fans wore white on both sides in remembrance of the fallen. Following the conclusion of the game, all inside the stadium helped form a prayer circle that was led by a local pastor.

According to a news release, the cause of the house fire was an electrical source located in the living room.