Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Things are under control for the Gala and Golf Outing sponsored by the fund-raising committee of the Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund.
The fund-raising committee was created to provide patient services for those suffering from cancer in Kosciusko County. The proceeds from the events this year will go to the Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund and the Cancer Research Center at Indiana University Medical Center.
The Gala is at 6 p.m. Saturday and the Golf Outing will be Monday. Both will take place at the Tippecanoe Country Club.
Gala committee members Carol Lyn Jansen and Kelly Burnworth reported that 241 people have bought tickets to attend the Gala. Jansen and Burnworth are having problems with placing everyone because of limited room.
"It's a good problem," Jensen said.
"This is overwhelming," said fund-raising committee chairman Bob Sanders. "This is great."
The auction to be held during the Gala is in good shape too, according to auction committee members Peggy Sawyer and Lois Niemier. There will be a live auction, a silent auction and the champagne glass raffle from last year.
Six items will be auctioned off for the live auction. Sawyer and Niemier provided a list of the items, which include a laser surgery treatment for two eyes donated by Grossnickle Eye Center; an orthodontic treatment donated by Dr. Michael Thompson; jewelry from Bowers Jewelry; Bears tickets donated by Dave Stell; a party for 60 people donated by the Boathouse Restaurant; and a puppy donated by Lake City Animal Clinic.
Among the other items on the list to be auctioned are two round-trip tickets for American Trans Air to anywhere in the United States; Chicago opera tickets; and a condominium rental for one week.
The champagne glass raffle is a tradition from last year. Guests may buy a glass of champagne for $10 and receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win either a diamond bracelet or a diamond pendant necklace, according to Sawyer and Niemier. The committee decided on $10 this year as opposed to $25 from last year.
The golf outing already has 42 teams signed up to play Monday. This is already more than the 37 teams of last year, said Sanders. The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Other events the committee has organized for this year are the Kosciusko Care 5K and One-Mile Runs and the bridge tournament. The one-mile run will be at Leesburg Elementary School at 6 p.m. Friday and the bridge tournament will be at Tippecanoe Country Club at noon Friday.
The fund-raising committee's treasurer, Pam Messmore, reported that $55,690 has already been collected.
Sanders shared the cancer care fund's disbursement totals from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31. A total of 43 patients received $35,794 for needs such as rent, medication, food, car expenses and wigs. Sanders also reported that 72 percent of that money went to the Warsaw area, 16 percent went to Syracuse and the rest was disbursed to the rest of Kosciusko County.
Sanders stressed that all money goes to help cancer patients.
"None of the money collected goes to administrative fees," he said.
