May 24, 2021
Giving Back in Time of Need
While the pandemic created a lot of challenges in our world, our members never stopped giving back to those in need. Whether it was for community members with serious illnesses or schools and libraries that needed some help, our members showed their support through fundraisers, benefits, donations, and more. Here are just a few stories of BetterLife members giving back in time of need.
Helping a Neighbor in Need
Branch 85 members Harlan and Branden Moos frying up brats before the Rusty Baye benefit.
Branch 85 and their small community of Philip, South Dakota, came together for one big cause: to help their friend and Philip native, Rusty Baye. Just last year, Rusty was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Following his diagnosis, he and his wife began driving eighty miles every day for treatment. Since Rusty has been such a good friend and neighbor in Philip, Branch 85 decided to host a fundraiser on February 26, 2021 to help cover costs associated with Rusty’s treatment.
The Rusty Baye Benefit was held at the local gymnasium during a high school basketball game. Branch 85 members served brats (donated by local business Grossenburg Implement), chips, and water, while raising awareness and accepting free-will donations to the cause. Of the 250 brats prepared, there were very few leftovers. The community of Philip, game attendees, and people up to thirty miles away came to support Rusty. “The generosity of the community was absolutely breathtaking,” said Daesha Moos, Secretary of Branch 85.
The Rusty Baye Benefit and Branch 85 raised a total of $5,030.79. Furthermore, because the branch applied for matching funds prior to the event, BetterLife matched $2,500 to bring the grand total raised to $7,530.79!
A Community United
Tucker Varns and his dog at home.
BetterLife Branch 73 members and friends joined together to give back to Tucker Varns, a caring young man who has helped others his entire life. In November 2020, at the age of twenty-two, Tucker went into full-blown heart failure. In order to be on the heart transplant list, he was required to live within a four-hour distance of the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Terry and Dixie Varns, longtime Branch 73 board members and Tucker’s parents, quit their jobs, uprooted their family, and moved to Yankton, South Dakota. Shortly after, Tucker and his family received the call: he would be getting a new heart! While this was great news, they now had concerns on how to cover moving and medical bills.
That’s when their community, family, and friends rallied to hold two separate fundraisers for Tucker. The first was lunch and a silent auction held by his friends and family at the Deadwood VFW on December 6. A second fundraiser was held at Queen City Liquor on December 11. Teresa and Greg Krier, BetterLife members and owners of Queen City Liquor proclaimed December 11, 2020, Team Tucker Day and donated 15% of gross revenue towards the cause. BetterLife members and Tucker’s friends sold “Team Tucker Varns” T-shirts, held drawings, and accepted donations at the events and at Black Hills State University.
The events resulted in over $9,500 raised, and with the additional $2,500 BetterLife Matching Funds, the Varns family received over $12,000 to assist with expenses!
Consignment Sale for a Cause
Since 1984, Lodge 389 has held the Saline Center Consignment Sale in Western, Nebraska. Originally, Bill and Darlene Zalesky organized the fundraiser to raise money for appliances. Today, organizers Sheldon and Judy Kohout ensure the sale proceeds go towards preserving the Saline Center Lodge and supporting local communities. The consignment sale is partially responsible for keeping the lodge viable; without it they would struggle to keep afloat.
Ladies of Lodge 389 spent two days baking about 150 dozen Kolaches to help raise money at the Saline Center Consignment Sale.
The first sale had between ten and fifteen volunteers, with 100 attendees. Today the sale has 200 to 300 volunteers and over 5,000 attendees. Children and senior citizens alike are welcome to help out in the days before, during, and after the sale.
Due to COVID-19, this year was different. The lodge did not hold their traditional toy raffle, local vendor craft show, or YELL! bake sale. However, they did have a large auction that hosted a wide range of items, such as machinery, trailers, trees, vehicles, guns, coins, mowers, antiques, and other miscellaneous items.
Some of the Saline Center ladies were able to promote their Czech heritage and raise money at the same time by selling their famous Kolaches and other items at the sale. They spent two days baking at the lodge, and made about 150 dozen Kolaches. Between the auction and the bake sale, Lodge 389 was able to raise funds to support their lodge, surrounding schools, and libraries in their communities!
For more stories about members, branches, and lodges helping in their communities, sign up for our monthly member email, The Better Buzz OR connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.