Madonna Badger: New York Fund Set Up For Children Killed in Fire

Madonna Badger's children got a scholarship fund set up in their names courtesy of the school they attended before they were killed in a Christmas Day house fire at their Connecticut home.

The Windward School in White Plains, N.Y. announced on Tuesday, that it has set up a scholarship fund in the name of 9-year old Lily and her 7-year-old twin sisters Grace and Sarah. The three children lost their lives in a blazing fire that also killed their maternal grandparents, Lomer and Pauline Johnson.

John Russel, the head of the school, said that even though the children are gone, teachers, administrators and classmates will remember them for years to come.

Over the coming months, everyone blessed to have known and loved Lily, Sarah and Grace will have to learn to live without these three beautiful young girls, he said in a statement, according to The Stamford Times. Their deaths left for their classmates, teachers and the entire Windward School family a void that may never be filled. We hope that by establishing this scholarship fund, we will not only honor their memory, but provide an opportunity both for Windward families and friends to commemorate what Lily, Sarah and Grace accomplished in their short lives and for other children with language-based learning disabilities to get the educational help they need.

The co-ed school is known in the area for educating children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Students of the Windward School will be able to participate in a memorial garden in honor of the three girls as well.

Matthew Badger also announced last week that he was starting his own foundation, the Lilly,Sarah, Grace Fund, to honor the memory of his deceased children. The fund will support the arts in public elementary schools.

I adored and cherished my girls, Matthew Badger said on the on the foundation's Web site, This fund is not only for children, teachers, education, schools, and my little girls; it is my way of remaining their father. While honoring their names and what they believed in, we are allowing Lily, Sarah and Grace to bring change to those in need.

Madonna Badger, the girl's mother, escaped the blaze along with her friend, Michael Borcina. Fire officials said that embers from an extinguished fireplace were placed outside and that those embers were blown onto the house, causing the deadly blaze.