Gavin Higgins's tragic accident brought a community together.
The Auction to help fund his recovery was held on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. It was at the Monroe High School and manned by concerned friends and family. It included dessert, a silent auction, and a live auction.
On Jan. 7, Gavin Higgins, 15, was a passenger in a car when his friend lost control of the vehicle and ran into a tree. The impact crushed the drivers' side of the car and both boys had to be extracted from the vehicle. Higgins is now able to breathe on his own and open his eyes for short amounts of time but is still in the intensive care unit.
"Gavin has a long road ahead of him," said Tom Williams, Higgins's stepfather.Many individuals and companies contributed items for the auction. Among them was Dutch Bros., OSU, the Portland Trailblazers, Monroe High School, Wilco, Peterson CAT, and the Corvallis Knights. There were 198 auction items total.
"He and his family are very much loved by everyone in the community," said Kathy Ballard, a volunteer at the event.
The community also supported with large donations made at the door and pledged to sponsor Gavin's 4-H steer.
Members of his sports teams, 4-H, and high-school all came and volunteered or supported.
"I'm so thankful for everyone who's responded," said Jennifer Gamache, coordinator of the fundraiser.
They raised over $33,000 and more than 300 people attended.
"Tonight I'm trying not to cry. They say it takes a village to raise a child and it takes a community to heal it," said Williams.
Many people have changed their Facebook profile pictures to one of Higgins with the caption, "Pray for Gavin" across the top.
The Block 15 restaurant and brewery in Corvallis will also be the site of another fundraiser on Feb. 9. Ten percent of all proceeds will be donated to the Gavin Higgins Recover Fund.
"Gavin is a liked kid," said Williams.
At a Glance:
Published in: Linn Benton Commuter
What: Dessert and Auction Fundraiser
For who: Gavin Higgins
Why: To help his family pay for medical bills and show support.
Where: Monroe High School
Know More: Facebook, Gavin Higgins Recovery Page
Next Fundraiser: Block 15 restaurant and brewery, February 9th.
Topic: Class Blog
ReplyDeleteI think the story that stands out to me the most on the class blog is the one by Sarah about Gavin Higgins. This story stands out to me because it's a very local story (Higgins is from Monroe, which is a little South of Corvallis) and it's one of the most news worthy stories I think anyone has written in this class so far.
Sarah did a great job of getting sources and quotes. Her story makes the reader aware of Higgins' situation if they had not heard about it, and for people who have heard of Higgins' story, they're are ways to get involved.
I would have liked to read more about Higgins' personality in Sarah's story. While her story does a good job of telling me about the accident Higgins' was in and the different fundraisers to support his cause, I didn't get a sense of who Higgins' is from reading the story. It would have improved the article to interview Higgins' family about Higgins' hobbies and the things he is interested in to get a sense of who he is as a person.
A good follow up for this story would be to update readers on Higgins' status. Did he make a full recovery, or is he still in the hospital? If he did make a full recovery, a good story idea would be to do a full profile on him.