Wenatchee Valley businesses collect cash donations in memory of Decker sisters

At local businesses across the Wenatchee Valley, donation jars with a picture of three young girls, all smiling, have been on display. The girls pictured are 5-year-old Olivia Decker, 8-year-old Evelyn Decker and 9-year-old Paityn Decker.

Over eight businesses accepted in-person cash donations to support Whitney Decker, the mother of the three girls.

The three sisters were found dead near a campsite near Leavenworth following a multi-day search for the girls. Their father, Travis Decker, is wanted in connection to the girls’ killings. He has yet to be found.

Cindy Gonzalez, owner of The Bloom Flowery in Wenatchee, said that local businesses quickly wanted to help. The group collected nearly $4,000 in cash donations for Whitney Decker. Businesses stopped collecting donations on Tuesday.

“I think it’s just something that has affected our valley. As a small business community, it’s nice to see everyone come together — whether we knew the little girls or not. We feel the need to help and do what we can, because at some point, the girls might have made it to our spots,” Gonzalez said. 

Ernie’s Market, located in Wenatchee, and The Bloom Flowery launched the effort in response to concerns about GoFundMe fees and preferences for direct giving.

A separate GoFundMe campaign, organized by Amy Edwards, a friend of the Decker family, has raised over $1 million. GoFundMe charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus 30 cents per donation for campaigns supporting individuals or businesses. 

Patti Howe, the owner of Ernie’s Market and Gonzalez’s landlord, reached out to Gonzalez to ask if businesses wanted to have a donation jar in their storefront. Gonzalez said she reached out to other women-owned businesses in the area to ask if they wanted to participate. Many of them did. 

Howe said that as a mother and as a member of the community, she wanted help. “This came together more organically in this time of need, that’s really what community is,” she said.

Bertha Cardenas, co-owner of The Salad Bar in Quincy, participated in collecting donations. She said the news of the Decker girls’ deaths hit close to home.

“I’m a very family-oriented person, and this tragedy really hit home for me,” she said. “I may not have kids of my own, but I have younger siblings, nieces and people in my life I love deeply. Thinking about a mother losing all three of her daughters was just heartbreaking. I felt moved to do something to help in any way I could.”

Cardenas said the community has responded with warmth and generosity.

“You can see the look on people’s faces just wanting to help. We had lots of people come in specifically just to drop off donation money — you could really tell how much it meant to them,” she said.