By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
When the word had gotten out that one of its own was stricken with an illness, the Colonel Crawford community rallied together in support.
Colonel Crawford third grader Lauren Esterline has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She and her family were the beneficiary this weekend of numerous fundraising activities to help with medical bills and other expenses incurred from the treatments.
These fundraising activities took place during the past week at the Colonel Crawford School District culminating with a spaghetti dinner Saturday afternoon, 3-point shootouts during the halftime of the varsity and junior varsity Colonel Crawford-Bucyrus boys’ basketball games, and numerous raffles including one for an authentic LeBron James jersey autographed by the king himself. Lauren’s sister, Claire, drew the winning raffle ticket for the jersey at the half time of the varsity game.
Lauren’s grandparents, John and Becky Witter, were appreciative of the community’s outpouring of support.
“We are very grateful and we are just overwhelmed with the positive response of the community and the school. The school has been great, the teachers, the principal, just everybody has been great and we are very thankful,” Becky Witter said.
In just a little over two weeks’ time Christi Laughbaum, Michelle Feik, Tonya Hoepf, and Jen Price organized the multiple fundraising events for the Esterlines. Laughbaum, Feik, Hoepf, and Price explained how their efforts came about.
“A lot of team work, a lot connections, a lot of texts back and forth. The community really came together to donate to what they could. And that is what we saw the community really pitching in. The 4-H club (Dairy Maids and Gents) for Lauren’s group helped serve; they had the staff and teachers helping as well,” all four said.
“Mrs. Sautter was a huge support along with Jen Price inside of the school to help those not inside every day. So they helped funnel all the daily activities,” Hoepf added.
“I think we just reached out to any connection that we had,” Feik said.
“Last night it started with the events at Buckeye Central, and today I think we sold 483 meals,” Laughbaum said.
“They had activities every day throughout the week at school. The junior high and high school sold cups of ice cream for a dollar yesterday. They sold 621 cups of ice cream. The elementary had hat day so the kids paid a dollar to wear hats. We had T-shirt sales all week which we surpassed that. We had actually had to have an emergency order placed. We had ordered 500 shirts and had to have 50 more overnighted,” Feik said.
“We’ve sold all 200 bracelets by the end of dinner tonight so we have none for tonight. The donations, people that you didn’t even ask just came up and donated,” Hoepf said.
“We couldn’t have done this without the help of the Colonel Crawford administration. They have been behind us 100 percent since the beginning,” Hoepf finished.
The fundraising didn’t just stay in the Colonel Crawford School District; it had spread over to a rival school district, as Buckeye Central helped raise $1,043.52 Friday night during the Buckeye Central-Colonel Crawford girls’ basketball game in New Washington.
Lauren’s teacher Kristen Perkins explained how her third grade class has rallied around their classmate.
“The class has adjusted very well. We have a monkey in the chair. We do journal entries, the kids made cards, we Skype with her about two or three times a week to keep her involved in the classroom, and then do uphold business to see her as well,” Perkins said.
Colonel Crawford Superintendent Todd Martin summed up the fund raising activities as something that is ingrained into the Colonel Crawford community when someone in the community needs support.
“It is what the Colonel Crawford community does when we have a family in need, the community comes together like this,” Martin said.
Due to the overwhelming demand for the shirts that were designed by Colonel Crawford High School Student Sydney Lemaster, www.rushordertees.com set up a campaign to sell 50 more shirts with proceeds going to the Esterline family. To participate in the campaign visit https://www.spreadspirit.com/loveforlauren#/2-size-m/11-color-black/39-style-g200_.