WINONA. Minn. — Well-wishers have donated $27,000 for a family who lost their house in the wind-whipped fire at the Minnesota Equestrian Center last week. Proceeds from the gofundme campaign are for Jose and Bethany Mota and their two pre-school children. Since the fire they have been living at one of the Winona hotels owned by Mike Rivers, whose daughter Jessica owns the equestrian center. Jessica set up the gofundme site with an original goal of $25,000 but upped the goal to $30,000 after an outpouring of sympathy for the Motas. A separate gofundme site, for the Mark and Melissa Baus family, who operated a horse training and trading business at the center, raised $12,800 before its deadline for donations expired.
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Rivers. Owner of devastated horse arena. Established the Mota gofundme site.