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 Service Scene
Small Town, Big Hearts - Chapter event in Creighton, Nebraska, raised more than $16,000 for a girl in need.
As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” But for the residents of Creighton, Nebraska, it also takes a village to save one. Community members sprang into action when they heard about Kelsey Berglund, an 18-year-old girl with Hodgkin’s disease. The town of about 1,200 attracted 1,250 people to a fundraiser that ultimately brought in $16,500.
When Kelsey’s teachers heard about her situation, they decided to organize a bake sale. Zion Lutheran Church got involved, and the event grew to include a dinner and silent auction. Volunteers enlisted the help of the Antelope-Knox County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, placed notices in church bulletins and contacted churches in surrounding towns.
Organizers hoped for a good turnout, but the final count was “mind-boggling,” says John Binger, communications director for the Antelope-Knox County Chapter. “There was a block-long line of people, and it just stayed that way until it was over.”
Through the Care Abounds in Communities® program, Thrivent Financial contributed $1,000 to the $15,500 raised as a result of the event. The family used the funds for travel expenses to and from the University of Nebraska Hospital in Omaha, where Kelsey continues to receive treatments.
And, Creighton residents haven’t stopped giving. Within a month of Kelsey’s fundraiser, they joined forces with Thrivent Financial to host another event for two young boys whose father died in a car accident. The community raised another $15,000. “We’re giving people,” Binger says. “In a small town, it seems like whenever there’s a chance for someone to help out, they do.”
—Kara Eliason
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