Local Elementary School Raises Funds for EKF
On March 11, 2009, Mulberry Elementary School in Muscatine, Iowa kicked off a school-wide fundraiser benefiting the Erika Kate Foundation. Mrs. Julie Minder, a third grade teacher, is credited with the idea of hosting the fundraiser to support the work of the Foundation.
According to Mrs. Minder, “I thought it was a good idea for the school to support the work of the Foundation. It’s important for our students to understand that they can reach out with compassion to help families in need. EKF was started by Mulberry parents and is named after one of our students. It seemed like a positive way to get the kids excited about helping others.”
Mulberry Elementary is special to the Maynards. Erika was once a student in a Mulberry pre-school program, and her sister, Emma, is currently a third grade student there. The school has a talented and tenderhearted team of teachers who not only work to educate children, but also make efforts to instill strong character qualities.
The fundraiser was an opportunity for students, staff, and parents of Mulberry to partner with EKF to help families of children with life-threatening heart conditions. Traci Maynard, who co-founded the not-for-profit in late 2006, hopes the fundraiser can become an annual event in Muscatine. “Each year, we hope to rally around a certain family in the midst of a hardship related to their child’s condition. This year, we have chosen a wonderful family living in New York City who definitely deserves a break and is in need of assistance.”
The family of Leslie Lopez has been through many trials in the past few years. In 2002, Ms. Lopez lost her daughter to a heart disease similar to the one Erika suffered from. Then, in 2004, she gave birth to twin boys, Johan and Tariq, who also were plagued with the same heart disease, cardiomyopathy. Both boys have received heart transplants at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian. Because of the advanced medical care and observation the boys require, the family has been forced to relocate to New York City, and has had a tough time making ends meet.
As a way to reach out to this family during their time of need, Mulberry Elementary collected donations to purchase the family a one-year cell phone contract. While the original goal was to raise $800, students and staff managed to raise more than $3100. What a powerful testimony to the generous and compassionate families attending this Muscatine school. As a result of this successful fundraising effort, EKF looks forward to blessing the Lopez family with various necessities to help them cope better with the challenges they’re currently facing.
EKF would like to thank all the Mulberry parents, students, and staff who participated in the three week long effort; Doran & Ward Printing Company of Burlington, Iowa, for donating a variety of print materials; and Papa Murphy’s of Muscatine, for their willingness to participate in this event. Members at both companies have children who attend Mulberry and believe in the value of extending generosity and compassion to those in need.
If you know of a school, a workplace, or an organization that would welcome the opportunity to raise funds to help families in the midst of their journey with a life-threatening heart condition, please contact us at info@erikakate.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Pictured from left to right: Megan Price, Julie Minder, Emma Maynard, and Cameron Christiansen
Good works are links that form a chain of love. –Mother Teresa
