Hiram Village Fire Department Assistant Chief and volunteer assistant swimming and diving coach Jason Groselle and his wife, Brenda, are accustomed to being on the giving end of charitable efforts. In recent weeks, however, those roles were reversed as the Hiram Athletic Department organized fundraisers to support the Groselle family after they lost their home in a fire.
“I think it left us speechless,” said Brenda, a 2005 Hiram alum. “It’s hard to put into words. The outpouring of love, support, and prayers is something I don’t think we’ll ever fully wrap our heads around. The phone calls and text messages have been coming from every direction, and we are just so grateful.”
The Groselles are beginning the New Year after losing their family home to a fire on Nov. 11. The house, which had stood for nearly 200 years, held deep family significance for Assistant Chief Groselle.
“I grew up in that house,” said Groselle, a 2004 Hiram graduate. “It was tough to lose something like that. Two hundred years is a lot of memories—not just for me, but for everyone who lived there before. My parents lived there, and before them, other family members.”
In the aftermath of the fire, the Hiram community rallied around the family. The Hiram Athletic Department organized a multi-day food and clothing drive sponsored by the swimming team, followed by a “Basketball for a Cause” fundraiser on Dec. 17, which collected cash and gift card donations during a doubleheader.
According to Brenda, the support has been invaluable.
“It has been incredibly helpful,” she said. “Having kids, and with Jason needing items for work, it’s made a huge difference. It’s honestly hard to describe how much it has meant to us.”
Assistant Chief Groselle said the family was unaware of the extent of the athletic department’s efforts, noting that several Hiram swimmers quietly approached administrators to organize the initial food and clothing drive.
Both Jason and Brenda swam for Hiram during their college years, and Jason has remained closely connected to the program, serving as a coach for 22 years since graduating.
“It just shows there are good people in this world,” he said. “You don’t have to ask—people step up. It wasn’t just current swimmers, but alumni reaching back to when we were on the team.”
Brenda added that their teenage sons have grown up around the Hiram campus due to their father’s involvement with the swimming program, and she considers Terrier athletics a second family.
“Our boys have been running around campus since they were born,” she said. “It’s a testament to how close-knit the Hiram community is and how powerful a small town can be. Seeing everyone rally around us was truly amazing.”
Additional support came from the Hiram Christian Church, which also organized a food and clothing drive to help provide the family with essential items.
While the holidays at the end of 2025 were understandably difficult, Assistant Chief Groselle said his family is entering the New Year with gratitude for the generosity shown by their alma mater and community.
“The support has been incredible,” he said. “Nothing can make what happened right, but the love, prayers, and kindness we’ve received have helped more than people know.”
