SHIRLEY LIN
Hundreds of people slurped spaghetti and meatballs at the final fundraiser in Beacon Hill School Thursday to help one of their own.
The spaghetti supper event on Thursday marked the end to a series of fundraisers held to assist a family, Angela and husband Jamie Woods, in their medical plight.
Help came in the form of $32,000 — the total raised at the three fundraisers.
Vice-principal Chris Organ said Thursday night was a fantastic turnout of about 350-400 people.
He said their only goal was hoping to do well.
“In terms of what monetary value would actually gain, we had no idea. We’ve exceeded our expectations if we had any.”
The fundraisers began May 26 with a fine arts extravaganza where the Fort McMurrray Fire Department also helped out with barbecuing hot dogs and hamburgers.
A silent auction followed which included artwork by students who donated them for the cause.
The fundraisers then ended with a sphaghetti night Thursday.
The money raised will be given to Angela, who is on a waiting list for a kidney transplant, and her husband Jamie who underwent an unexpected major surgery after a tumor was found in his stomach.
Angela’s kidney failed just shortly after she married her husband this past summer. Jamie was planning to give one of his kidneys so she could live a normal life, but in an unexpected twist, doctors discovered a stomach tumour while being tested for a potential donor.
Their plights added a huge strain to their finances with extensive medical and travel expenses.
Organ said when the school and community found out Angela needed the transplant, the bigger shock was when her husband got ill.
“She was always optimistic, but when her husband got sick, that was the big kicker because that really puts them in a rut.
“The reaction in the school first was of sadness; and then it was a matter of, what can we do to fix it? How can we help?
That’s when the idea came up to do a fundraiser following similar events that saw great success at Good Shepherd School and in Timberlea.
“We wanted to do something that just brings you in, have a good time … but at the same time head to a good cause.”
The fundraising ideas came from Parent Council who wanted to do a series of smaller events.
“So we said why don’t we just do it all at once? Have one big shebang, I guess. We did and it worked really well,” Organ said.
shirley.lin@fortmcmurraytoday.com







