This article is part of the series “One Moment At A Time” about my family’s journey as we help my mother fight brain cancer. Feel free to subscribe below to receive periodic updates about our journey in your email inbox. Thank you for your continued support during this challenging life moment.
We originally announced the upcoming fundraiser for our mother, Melanie, two weeks ago. Unfortunately, it is with heavy hearts to share that Melanie passed a week after the announcement. As we thought about how to continue our mother’s legacy, we have decided to create a scholarship in honor of Melanie.
It is our goal to to provide a scholarship to a student that is interested in pursuing a degree in education or another field that will aid in helping others. In an effort to reach the $10,000 minimum threshold to create an ongoing annual scholarship, we have decided to move forward with the fundraiser that Melanie’s employer, Montpelier Exempted Village Schools, will host. All funds that we raise above our $10,000 goal will be used to help earn interest for scholarships well into the future.
The school is dedicating the upcoming high school boys basketball game on Friday, February 22, 2019, at Montpelier High School (1015 E Brown Rd, Montpelier, OH 43543), to Melanie’s scholarship where the Montpelier Locomotives will host the Hilltop Cadets at 6pm.
HILLTOP GRADUATE & MONTPELIER TEACHER
Melanie is a 1973 graduate of Hilltop High School and moved to Montpelier, Ohio, after graduation. After raising her two children, Abby and Cory, during their early years, she decided to go back to college and earn her degree in education. She began her teaching career at Montpelier Exempted Village Schools in 1990 where she has remained a teacher ever since. She taught second grade for many years before moving into her last role as the Title Math teacher for grades 3-6. Melanie planned to retire at the end of the 2020 school year when she would have completed her 30th year of teaching.
In early December, Melanie was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Our mother began an aggressive form of chemo and radiation treatment shortly after her diagnosis. However after a very brave battle, our mother crossed over at her home on Little Long Lake in Fremont, Indiana, on February 3rd looking out over the lake and surrounded by her loving family.
CLICK HERE to read Melanie’s Obituary.
THE FUNDRAISER
The fundraiser will be a special evening for Melanie, her family and for all of her family and friends. Both teams and fans from both schools will be showing their support throughout the evening. The Montpelier School and Hilltop School staffs are also organizing many items to be raffled off throughout the evening, including many homemade items through a bake sale.
WHAT TO WEAR
The Montpelier Exempted Village Schools has partnered with Bill’s Locker Room of Bryan and Montpelier to create a “TeamMel” t-shirt to wear to the game. Many t-shirts have already been ordered but if you have not yet purchased your t-shirt, they can be purchased online through [THE ORDER DEADLINE HAS PASSED]. If you are unable to purchase a t-shirt to wear to the game, we ask that you wear grey clothing to the game to raise awareness of brain cancer. Proceeds from each shirt sold will go to the scholarship.
HOW TO HELP
There are several ways to help spread the word and contribute to this beautiful event for Melanie. Here are just a few:
- SHARE GOFUNDME LINK ON SOCIAL MEDIA: We have set up an online link for those that would like to donate to the scholarship online. Feel free to share this link on your social media accounts and encourage others to attend. CLICK HERE for the link.
- MARK YOUR ATTENDANCE: CLICK HERE to indicate your attendance on the official event invite online. This link is a Facebook link so if you are not a Facebook user you may not be able to indicate your attendance. Marking your attendance is not required to attend, but this will help us gauge attendance.
- ITEMS TO DONATE: If you have any items to contribute to the fundraiser, please contact Bailey Yahraus at byahraus@montpelier-k12.org. Please provide all items by Friday, February 15, 2019.
- FLYER DOWNLOAD: If you would like a copy of the main flyer to hang at your business, to provide to local businesses to hang, or to download and use electronically, please download below. Please note that you may need to adjust your printer to ensure the flyer prints on the size paper that you are using.
- CLICK HERE for the landscape layout
- CLICK HERE for the portrait layout
SPECIAL THANK YOU
This event would not be possible if it weren’t for the following people and their generous support:
- Lance Thorp, Melanie’s manager and Montpelier Elementary School Principal, for hosting this special event
- Bailey Yahraus, Melanie’s colleague, for creating and organizing the t-shirts and fundraiser
- Megan Lamberson and Alysha Sloan, Melanie’s colleagues, for organizing the fundraiser
- Katy Corkle, Melanie’s colleague, for creating and designing the beautiful flyer for the event
- Cathie Batt, Melanie’s sister and longtime Hilltop School secretary, for helping organize the event for Hilltop School
- Tony Gerig, Melanie’s nephew and Hilltop Athletic Director, for managing the event for the Hilltop Boys Basketball team
- Joey Brigle, Montpelier Athletic Director, for managing the event for the Montpelier Boys Basketball team
We hope to see you at the game. And we appreciate all of your continued prayers and support.
One moment at a time.
I plan to continue to write about this new life journey. It is a tough topic to write about but I feel writing will be a great emotional release for me and could help others along the way going through something similar. If you would like to receive a weekly update, feel free to enter your email and sign up below.
