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Borger comes together to honor one of its own |
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Saturday, July 04 2009 |
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By: Brooke Huff Reporter Ever since Lisa Vineyard and Bruce Ridling heard about M’Leigha Graham’s need for surgery, they have wanted to do something to help.
On Saturday, July 11, 2009, they will not only get their chance to do something for the Grahams, but they are giving the entire City of Borger a chance to help. A group of volunteers from throughout the city have joined together to plan a community-wide event designed to raise money for the family. The benefit, according to Katherine Loucks, the benefit is being called ‘The M’Leigha Graham Fun Day Benefit,” and 100 percent of the money raised will go toward offsetting Graham’s hospital expenses while she was in Denver, Colo. The event will run from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m., Vineyard said, and will have a variety of activities for guests to take part in, from volleyball and horseshoe tournaments to train rides, bounce houses and face painting for the kids. There will also be live entertainment throughout the course of the day, including Manna, Set Free Dance Team, Dubious, Stew Moss, Dance Steps Studio, the JV and Varsity cheerleaders and selected children's choirs, as well as food booths selling hamburgers, hot dogs, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, pickles, soda, and water.
While the kid are enjoying one of the three bounce houses or the sack races, parents are encouraged to get a team together and enter the volleyball tournaments. The cost for the tournament is $10.00 per team. Other “grown-up” games include a horseshoe tournament, which costs $5.00 per team, and a basketball free throw contest. During the free throw contest, each entrant will be given one minute to see how many baskets the can make. The person with the most baskets at the end of the evening will be given a special prize. The free throw contest is $1.00 per person, Vineyard said. There will also be numerous door prizes, all donated by businesses and individuals in town.
It is the hope of the entire planning committee that this event will not only be fun for the entire community, but it will also present itself as a way to minister and reach-out to a family in need.
“To know Frank and M'Leigha is a true blessing to everyone. They are very loving and caring people, and we wanted to show our support to their family,” Vineyard said. “They do give so much to our community with their teaching/coaching positions. We truly love them and their children, and pray for the best for all of them.”
During the course of the day, Loucks said that they will use the gazebo as “Grand Central,” where the live music will take place. It is also at the gazebo where they will punctuate each hour with corporate prayer lifted up for the Grahams, the doctors involved in her surgeries, and the other people who have been touched by she story of faith.
Vineyard said that she decided to do something to help the Grahams because they are always doing something for other people. She said that they saw a need and knew they should do something to fill it.
“We saw a need that we could fill knowing that the medical bills are mounting on top of the everyday living expenses of a family of five,” she said. “That in itself has to be extremely stressful. When you add to that the fact that they are in Denver, miles away from their friends, family and their beautiful children, well, it's heartbreaking.”
As their friend, Vineyard said that she felt as if she could do more for them, and this benefit is her way of doing that. She said that the committee, consisting of Bruce Ridling, herself, Dwight and Courtney Kirksey, Cindy Littejohn, Kathy Loucks, Pat Minton and Kathy Galloway, hopes that lots of people will show up at the benefit, and have lots of fun while there. More importantly, however, by showing up at the benefit, Vineyard said, people will be showing their support to the Grahams.
“Pulling together as a community, supporting one of our own, is what Borger is all about,” Vineyard said.
For questions or more information, contact Bruce Ridling at 806-336-9608 or Lisa Vineyard at 806-220-5961.
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Last Updated ( Monday, July 06 2009 )
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