Community Spotlight: Mercy Rescue & Adoption

Everyone involved in Hunter’s Heroes, including Hunter and his family, wanted to find a way to showcase the community in which they live and so the idea of “Community Spotlight” was born. From time to time heroes4hunter.com will be publishing articles talking about different people, businesses and organizations in and around North Vernon as our way of saying thank you to the community, which has come out to support Hunter in more ways than we could have ever anticipated! 

On the weekend of June 8^th, Hunter’s Heroes kicked off a series of events designed to raise money to purchase a wheelchair accessible van for Hunter at the North Vernon City Park. So many wonderful people came out over the course of the two-day event to support Hunter! He enjoyed meeting everyone and making new friends, especially of the four-legged variety! Anne and Jamie Poore, along with Georgia of Mercy Rescue Adoption of North Vernon were among the many who stopped by the park that weekend. Mercy Rescue has been part of the North Vernon community since 2005, providing not only rescue services to animals in need, but community outreach and education, including regularly scheduled spay/neuter/rabies clinics for cats and dogs.

 Few people understand the integral part smaller rescues like Mercy provide to the communities in which they exist. All over America right now state and county animal shelters, if they even exist in an area, are over crowded. Simply put, smaller rescues like Mercy have saved countless animals like Daisy (pictured) from euthanizations that too often occur due to overcrowding and/or treatable medical conditions. These selfless men and women, most of whom work full-time jobs in addition to their work with animals, take in animals who otherwise wouldn't be given the opportunity to find fur-ever homes, get them the medical, social and hygiene related services they need and then work tirelessly to match the right animal to the right family. Often times, they dig into their own personal bank accounts to pay for things like vet care and food.

 A cornerstone of Mercy’s mission is their ongoing effort to promote spaying and neutering family pets in an effort to stem the tide of unwanted pets that end up in shelters or worse. According to data collected in 2012 by the HSUS, while “the number of homeless animals varies by state—in some states there are as many as 300,000 homeless animals euthanized in animal shelters every year. These are not the offspring of homeless or "street" animals—these are the puppies and kittens of cherished family pets and even purebreds. Many people are surprised to learn that nationwide more than 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters. Spay/neuter is the only permanent, 100 percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats.”  Mercy provides a monthly transport to Bloomington Pets Alive Spay/Neuter Clinic the second Tuesday of each month. People in need of the service can contact them at 346-8751 to sign up.

All the animals available for adoption, like Honey Boo and dogs like Charlie (see his video story at the end of this article) and Baxter who need expensive heartworm treatments (which can range from $600.00 - $800.00) and special needs animals like Lincoln who is deaf and blind and has been in a Mercy foster home since he was eight weeks old (he’s now two years old) rely on the kindhearted folks that run and volunteer with Mercy to take care of them. Mercy would not be able to take in as many animals in need without the ongoing help of Seymour Animal Hospital who works with Mercy to ensure that the animals get quality medical care.

What’s particularly amazing, but not unique in the humane world is that Mercy does not have a formal facility but rather relies on a network of volunteer foster homes to house the critters in their care. That is one of the most frustrating parts of small-scale rescue, the inability to help save more animals. Limited by available funds and space, the ultimate goal of a small-scale rescue is to get the animals healthy and ready for adoption in the shortest amount of time possible without sacrificing quality of care. Mercy can always use financial donations but they need people too! If you can volunteer your time or your home, whether for long or short-term fostering, please contact Mercy Rescue by visiting their website.

**All the animals featured in this article are available for adoption through Mercy Rescue

Thanks To River Valley Financial Bank, There's a NEW Way To Donate!

When Hunter's Heroes first set out to raise money it was in connection with a contest Hunter's mom had entered to try to win them a wheelchair accessible van. Initially they needed the money so that in the event they won the contest, they could afford the trip to Florida to pick up the van. While Hunter did not win the contest, it did not end the need to get him a van and so we went from fundraising for the contest related trip, to raising money to outright purchase a suitable wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Originally all the fundraising was being conducted online. To date, through straight Internet-based fundraising (that is to say strictly donations with no purchase of anything) you all have helped us raise $1,725.00 online! That is amazing! However, we kept hearing from people who didn't not want to make a donation online due to, among other things, not wanting to put their credit card information on the web (which we completely understand). Thanks to Stacy Batts and River Valley Financial Bank we now have a non-internet based way for people all over the planet to donate!

Starting today people wanting to make a donation by check or money order can either pop on over to the bank (locations and hours can be found here on their website) or drop it in the mail to the address at the bottom of this post. All options/information to be able to make donations can be found on the "Make A Donation" page here on this website!

A huge THANK YOU goes out to River Valley Financial Bank, the newest in what we hope to be a long line of Community Heroes!


Checks, made out to "Hunter's Heroes" can be mailed to:

River Valley Financial Bank

P.O. box 1590

Madison, IN 47250

Hunter's Newest Heroes, The Montrow Group!

For most people, Mondays are the bane of their existence. No matter how much fun the weekend held, Monday mornings mean back to business as usual for the majority of us; back to work, back to school, back to the hum-drum of everyday life. Except this Monday morning held a special surprise for Hunter and his family that no one could have anticipated.

What many people do not know is that there are people behind the scenes at Hunter’s Heroes that help manage a lot of the day-to-day functions associated with raising money on the scale required to purchase Hunter a wheelchair accessible van. In addition to Hunter’s family and local friends on the ground in North Vernon who many of you see working hard at every event, we’ve got volunteers who write the blog, manage the Facebook presence, create fliers and other printed material and coordinate all the small details involved in public events. One of those volunteers is Ayana Najah, she is Hunter’s personal Event Coordinator. Among her many and invaluable tasks are that she keeps the calendar, marshals the volunteers and interacts with all the wonderful people and companies that have answered the call to help Hunter get the van he so desperately needs.

The Monday morning after any Heroes’ event is typically quite busy for Ayana as there is usually lots of business to wrap up, t-shirt orders to fill, thank you messages to be sent and emails to return. This Monday however, she woke up to a Facebook message from a woman by the name of Sandra Jane West-Hoene who was looking to speak to Hunter’s mother Monica. One of Ayana’s regular tasks is to help Monica manage all the calls, emails and private messages that come in from people looking to help Hunter, so she returned the message inquiring as to why Ms. West-Hoene was looking to speak to Monica. What happened next knocked her socks off!

It turns out that Ms. West-Hoene works for a company located in North Vernon called the Montrow Group.  Ms. West-Hoene explained that, as part of their ongoing commitment to give back to the community in which they do business, every year the company makes a donation to someone in need whose story has touched the hearts of the team at Montrow and the community.  This year, Ms. West-Hoene submitted Hunter’s story for consideration and as a result, on this marvelous Monday morning, thanks to the Montrow Group, Hunter is $600.00 closer to having his much needed van! 

It’s clear that the employees of Montrow Tool & Machine, and CMD Manufacturing are proud to be a part of the Montrow Group and they have good reason to be. Since 1987 they have been serving the manufacturing equipment needs of their communities and beyond by supplying, among other things, custom made manufacturing equipment for production fabrication and assembly, stamping dies, and press tooling for metal fabrication, and inspection quality gages. 

Much like Hunter’s Heroes, the fine folks at the Montrow Group are a team. We are thrilled to welcome the Montrow Group to Team Hunter and can’t thank them enough for their incredible generosity! 

For more information on the Montrow group please visit their website http://www.montrowgroup.com

Wendy's June 22, 2013

WOW! We are beyond grateful and incredibly humbled but the outpouring of support and donations that came out of the Saturday, June 22, 2013 event hosted at Wendy’s Restaurant at 1200 N. State Street in North Vernon. Amy Henderson (store manager) and her staff, along with the Henderson family pulled out all the stops to make this daylong event one to remember! It was a day of car washing, baked good consuming, lemonade drinking and face painting fun all to raise money to buy Hunter a Wheelchair Accessible van.

The list of people to thank is incredibly long and we apologize if we have missed anyone. We would not be able to raise the funds we need without the support of the community! The estimated cost to procure a van suitable for Hunter is large and simply put there is no way we can achieve our goal without each and every one of you. From the people that donate their time, talent, prizes and baked goods to the people that come out and buy t-shirts and cookies, each of you is important to us!

 We can’t thank Amy and her crew at Wendy’s enough. She is so proud of her team and she has every reason to be! Amy asked us to share this message from her to her staff:

“Just want to say Thank you to all of my employees and Managers that made Hunter’s day such a great day it was the biggest one they have done so far. So everyone should feel proud. Thank you to Samantha that helped me get donations and helped in the hot on your day off, to Jenny for getting the coolers and helping me keep things straight, to Chantal for helping run the store the day of and keeping me from having to, and to Ray for coming an helping with stuff like getting me duct tape and things for the hoses, and Raymon for finding people to paint faces and be Wendy, and Chandra and Jonathan for making signs for me and to all the crew that bought Tshirts and Ribbons and to support you guys are great with big hearts and I love you all I wanted it to be big for Hunter and it was awesome so THANK YOU all!!!!”

Thank you to Jason and Erica Ruckel Noel from Mixed Soundz Entertainment who donated their services and set the backdrop by spinning tunes and making announcements all day long. Sisters Floral & Gifts, Kelley’s Greenhouse and Joyce’s Flowers, Inc. all donated crazy cool balloons to make sure everyone knew there was a party going on at Wendy’s! And bakers like high school student Kirsten Rose Giddings (who we think has an excellent future in her chosen path of going to culinary school) and Molly Monday of Molly Ann's Bakery made sure there were plenty of goodies for everyone to choose from! 

Speaking of bakers… Who knew we had such amazing talent in town? You ladies, ALL OF YOU, rocked it out AGAIN! From full size sheet cakes to fudge to muffins and bread, cookies, brownies, the variety of treats seemed endless! And based on sales (almost a complete sell out) everyone who stopped by agreed, there are no better bakers in the world than the ladies of Indiana!!!! Every single time we’ve put out the call you guys make sure the sugar starts flowing! There are no words to express our gratitude so you will have to be satisfied with the sight of growing waistlines! 

When we posted looking for volunteers to come help us on the 22^nd, Jason Hacker and Josh Leak, coaches for the Jennings County 5^th and 6^th grade Panthers Basketball team answered the call. The team, along with their parents and siblings SLAM DUNKED the car wash! Talk about hustle! These guys washed more cars (and one dog lol) than anyone could have ever anticipated! Even Hunter got in on the sudsing action! Not to be outdone, more than a few of their sisters spent the day selling these really cool paracord necklaces! In fact hunter loves his so much, he’s still refusing to take it off! Sure there was plenty of water play (even the big kids could not resist a little splashing on a hot day) but these guys more than earned their place among the ranks of Hunter’s Heroes and Hunter personally made sure each member of the team, their sisters and the coaches all went home with one of the newly available Hunter’s Heroes bracelets! 

Wendy’s manager Amy Henderson’s son Noah came up with the awesome idea to have a lemonade stand! Who could resist buying a cup from such cuties? Artistry In Motion Tattoo & Piercing shop not only came out to support Hunter but called later in the day to ask if someone could bring t-shirts by their shop as they had customers wanting to purchase their own after seeing one in the window! Christina Collins, Wendy Batts, Lisa Moore, Amber Asher, Casey Boyd Miller, Kasey Woodward Birge, Linda Witters, Sherry Lafferty, Kristy Thompson Miller, Don Beihle, Jami Bain, Jeremiah Harriman, Samantha Kuntz and too many others to list. THANK YOU SO MUCH for everything! People like you are the heart and soul of Hunter’s Heroes!

Of course none of this would even be possible without the continued support of Trent Low of Fresh Printz. Not only is Fresh Printz the exclusive supplier of all Hunter’s Heroes apparel and signs, he also loaned us tables and made even made a donation (tears were shed –seriously –Trent Low is just an OUTSTANDING human and business man). Trent buddy! FIRE UP the press because we pretty much sold out of small and medium shirts and the ladies are still patiently waiting to be able to purchase tank tops (available starting July 4^th at N. Vernon City Park –come see us)!

We would also like to extend a special thank you for the continued support of the Batts Family of Wissel’s Auto Service. Stacy and Frank, there are no words to adequately convey how much you and your family mean to Hunter, the Darlage family and the team behind the scenes at Hunter’s Heroes! Whether it’s keeping the Darlage-mobile running, volunteering on site at events, baking, donating soap for the carwash or any of the dozens of other things you do, big and small, you clearly exemplify what we mean when we use the word heroes.  

Just a reminder for everyone that bought tickets for the 50/50 Drawing, as advertised the pot is being held over and ticket sales will continue at the July 4^th event going on over at the North Vernon City Park (need not be present to win)! We’ve got some exciting things planned for July 4^th so make sure to stay tuned for more information!

 

Event At Wendy's 1200 N. State Street till 4-5:00 Today

Wendy's at this location will be donating a portion of their proceeds till 2:00 today but the car wash, bake sale, 50/50 raffle and t-shirt sales will be going on till 4 or 5:00 this afternoon so come on down!

Sunday Bake Sale Wrap up, Winners & Thank You

What a PHENOMENAL weekend! We can't thank everyone enough for making this such a great experience! Even though the weather didn't exactly cooperate, that didn't put a damper on anyone's good time! We could not have pulled this off without the help of Garlitch Ford, Fresh Printz, Trent Low, David Griggs, Abbey Sturgeon, Frank & Stacy Batts of Wissel's Auto Service, Jamie Brian, Jeremiah Heriman, Kasey Woodard Birge, Sherry Lafferty for lending us tables, all the wonderful bakers that provided us with amazing treats, Chad Speer and Sue Bright of the North Vernon Parks & Recreation for welcoming us, Scott Clark of the 2nd Annual Cardinals June Jam for inviting us to share their weekend with them and last but not least all the wonderful new friends and old friends that came out to support Hunter!

North Vernon Police Department Officers Fleetwood and Driver made a HUGE fan in Hunter this weekend! Not only was Officer Fleetwood one of this weekend's non-cash prize winning raffle winners, he took the time to pose with Hunter for this wicked awesome photo! Officer Driver, not to be outdone by his colleague, reached into his wallet, pulled out all the bills and handed them to Hunter who promptly and with a massive smile on his face, shoved them into the donations jar! If that's not enough from some of North Vernon's finest, former Sheriff  Earl Taggart has invited Hunter free use of his private pond for a little fishin', huntin' and campin'! (We're sure Hunter's favorite singer would agree that's a good time!)

Hunter made a few friends of the 4-legged and furry kind this weekend! We can't thank Mercy Rescue Adoption and Great Babies Rescue enough for coming on out and bringing their humans with them (sorry, Alex (pictured) made us say it that way-LOL)! In fact, Great Babies Rescue traveled an hour and half just to meet Hunter! Hunter had a great time interacting with the Alex (Great Babies) and the other dogs brought by Mercy Rescue that he's asked us to tell their stories right here on his personal blog in the coming weeks! And how can we say no to Hunter? We can't! So look forward to hearing more about these great organizations in the coming weeks!

Congratulations to Scotty Y. who not only won one of the random non-cash prizes but also he was the Grand Prize Winner of the 50/50 Raffle! And do you know what this amazing, wonderful, generous man did? When he was handed his cash prize, he turned around and put it RIGHT IN THE DONATION JAR!!!!!!!! Scotty Y you are truly one of Hunter's Heroes!

Hunter's Heroes raised an incredible $721.00 this weekend towards our goal of purchasing Hunter a wheelchair accessible van! That's amazing for our first ever event! When you combine that with internet based donations we are at a total of $1,961.00!!! That's a great start to our fundraising efforts! And again, we wouldn't be there without all of the people and companies that have generously donated whether it was money or products or their time and talents or any combination thereof. We solute you as Hunter's Heroes in your own right! And we're looking forward to continue this campaign with a sponsored ride at Phat Guy Sports Bar & Grill Tuesday night and a small bake sale at Garlitch Ford tomorrow!

Bake Sale Extended To Monday, June 10 At Garlitch Ford!

Saturday, June 08, 2013 -North Vernon Park Bake Sale In Pictures

 The day in pictures....

Saturday Bake Sale Wrap Up -Don't Miss Us Tomorrow

Despite some rain, what a great day! First we want to thank all the wonderful bakers that provided us with the tables of goodies we had today! Some of the most beautiful and delicious baked goods were turned out for our pal Hunter! We've heard there are more than a few ovens going tonight to produce fresh baked goods for tomorrow! Benny asked us to tell everyone that you'd better get there early tomorrow because certain items  sell out fast (really we suspect more than a few were "sold" right into his belly but he'll never tell)!

We're going to announce today's non-grand prize winners tomorrow morning on Facebook! So if you bought tickets today, make sure to check Hunter's walls tomorrow so you can go down and claim your prize.

Don't forget, tomorrow we will be doing more non-grand prize drawings and at the end of the June Jam Tournament (also tomorrow) Hunter himself will be drawing the Grand Prize winner! The Grand Prize is 50% of the proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets so come on out and buy a few!! For every ticket you purchase you get 2 chances to win! All day tomorrow we will be doing random drawings for non-cash prizes and then all the tickets get put back into the box for the big GRAND PRIZE drawing at the end of the day!


The newly designed Hunter's Heroes t-shirts (designed and printed by Fresh Printz) were flyin' off the tables! We've got limited quantities of every size  left so if you want to pick up a shirt this weekend you'd better come early!





Hunter had a great day! He loved meeting all of you and was especially excited to make some new friends! He and Benny loved hanging out with David Griggs in the AWESOME van Garlitch Ford had on display! Mike Garlitch himself stopped by to say hi!

Tomorrow (Sunday, June 9th) we'll be back to the beautiful North Vernon City Park but in a NEW location. Come find us near the main entrance to the park on Rt 3 & 7 -right next to American Rental Company! Rain or shine, look for the red Garlitch van! New bakers have produced more yummy treats and goodies that we didn't have today will be on the tables tomorrow! Hunter and his heroes thank new friends and old that came out today and we're looking forward to meeting more of you tomorrow!

Benny Wants To Remind Everyone To Come To The Bake Sale

2-Day Bake Sale & 50/50 Raffle Event 
North Vernon City Park

604 N State St, N. Vernon, Indiana

Homemade goodies, t-shirts, jewelry and raffle proceeds to benefit procuring a wheelchair accessible van for 16-year-old Hunter Darlage who was born with Cerebral Palsy. Due to recent medical events, Hunter requires increased medical care. Hunter and his family are in need of wheelchair accessible van so he can travel in comfort and safety!

Come out to enjoy the day! The 2^nd Annual Indiana Cardinals June Jam is going on! Stop at the Famer's Market (8am-1pm)! Or just play in the sunshine! There is a large pool, play ground and picnic areas! Something for everyone to enjoy!

Events start at 8:00 AM both days

50/50 Raffle
Need not be present to win! Winner to be notified by phone!

Grand prize –50% of proceeds!

$1.00 per Ticket

$5.00 for 6 Tickets

$20.00 for arm’s length run

Hunter will draw the winner on June 9th at the end of the tournament!!

All donations welcome!

COME SEE US BY THE CONCESSION STAND!

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNER HEROES FRESH PRINTZ & GARLITCH FORD FOR HELPING TO MAKE THIS EVENT HAPPEN!

Being Hunter's Sister

Hunter's Heroes asked Hunter's sister Cheyenne if she would contribute to an article here. She readily agreed but didn't know what to write about. We suggested she write about being Hunter's sister... something no one has ever asked her before. The following is her original, unedited contribution. 

Cheyenne you are an amazing young woman! A great daughter! And a FANTASTIC sister! 


Honestly, no one has ever asked me “What it’s like to be Hunter’s sister.” It is a really loaded question that has never really crossed my mind. I guess I felt that every sibling would treat their brother the way I do Hunter. However, sitting back and thinking about it now – I only hope every brother-sister bond is as strong as the one between Hunter and I. 

Being almost six years old when Hunter was born, it did take me a while to realize that not every baby was born into the world this way and had to go through everything he was going through. For the first nine months after Hunter was born, my parents had to stay with Hunter most of the time in Indianapolis to make sure he was progressing. It was very scary for Braydon and I both, knowing we had a sibling but he could not come home. When he eventually did come home, he had a bunch of tubes and machines hooked up to him that were very overwhelming to a young girl. 

Growing up, my parents did not treat me any differently than the two boys. I understood that they had to be given more attention with Braydon having Autism and Hunter having multiple diagnoses on top of Cerebral Palsy. I was always helping. Even though I did not like what either of them had to go through, I learned to love being around all the medical equipment, issues, and in the environment. My parents still made sure I was happy and took me to all my softball tournaments. Hunter always wore a uniform and was our mascot, for every team I played on. 

It took me awhile to realize not every family functioned as mine did. Not everyone had a sibling in a wheelchair and a sibling who did not talk. However, I was never embarrassed. I loved both of my brothers. The only setback to me at the time was that I could not just have friends over like others. I always had to take into consideration what my parents had went through that particular day, how Hunter felt, did Braydon have a good day and did my parents have the energy to deal with another child before asking if anyone could come over. Not many children have to tune into these concepts when asking if friends could come over, and I did not realize it until I was older, but these factors is what made my family so close. We were so in tune with what each other was feeling or going through and knew how to be there for one another.

Being the oldest sibling, I have witnessed everything Hunter has gone through; every surgery, complications, nearly every appointment, and daily struggles. It has taken a toll on me the past few years as Hunter’s condition has worsened and I’ve been in college 1 ½ hours away. It really bothers me that I cannot always be there for him nor my parents like I always was growing up. Growing up, I was always took over responsibilities for my parents to give them a break. I never had to think about it, it just came natural. I enjoyed giving my parents a break, letting them sleep in for once, or just allowing them to breathe. However, as Hunter has gotten older – his conditions have worsened and more diagnoses have been made. This makes care for Hunter even more difficult and every day a long day.

However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel when Hunter began walking with a reverse walker and walking sticks. He finally had some normalcy and was so proud! It made transporting Hunter easier and gave him the independence he deserved. He even began walking without any assistance from the living room into the kitchen of our home. It was a huge milestone. Up until one year ago, Hunter was looking forward to so many more things with his newfound independence. When all of the sudden, one morning it was taken away. He could not crawl, walk, or bear weight on his legs. The entire family cried. Everything Hunter had worked for and our family had hoped for was no longer in sight. This was the hardest thing I have ever had to witness in my life. I had to be strong for my family, especially Hunter.

Hunter has been dealing with this pain now for over a year. He has his good days and bad. I wish every day that it could be me instead of him, because he is such a beautiful soul that does not deserve it. I would be lying if I said our faith has not been challenged over this past year. Some days it was hard to believe that this was happening to such an innocent child. However, I have learned to remind myself “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.” 

What kind of child continues to smile every single day even though he is continuously in pain and confined to a wheelchair? A miracle child, Hunter Lane. Truth be told, he is the strong one for the rest of us; even though we like to think we are strong for him. Every day is an adventure for my family. God gave us Hunter for a reason and I like to think that reason is to make our family strong- and strong we are! His journey has made our family so close and unbreakable. We are truly a one-of-a-kind family with one-of-a-kind experiences and a rare bond. I thank God every day for Hunter and my family. I would not change it for anything. 

Hunter's Heroes Celebrates Fresh Printz!

Established in the Spring of 2011, Fresh Printz Inc. is a custom designed apparel and awards company located in North Vernon, Indiana. In a very short time it has positioned itself as a leader in custom designed apparel and awards. They have been part of the Hunter's Heroes family since the beginning designing and producing our awesome t-shirts!

Jenna, Hunter's personal (and volunteer) Social Media Director, told us that Trent at Fresh Printz is a dream to work with! He's one of Hunter's biggest advocates and a true gentleman! In her dealings with them, she  learned that Fresh Printz works with many businesses, churches, schools, sports teams, associations, and individuals. Wholesale programs are available to organizations and teams that order in bulk quantities, and use custom apparel for their fundraising. Trent and the entire crew at Fresh Printz are truly committed to the community in which they operate! 

Hunter's Heroes is very excited to be debuting a brand new t-shirt designed by Fresh Printz at their June 8th and 9th 2013 bake sale and raffle taking place at the North Vernon City Park! 

Fresh Printz has some of the freshest and most innovative custom apparel we have ever seen with everything from 3D embroidery to sublimation! And we particularly dig the custom rhinestone t-shirts & apparel crystallized with Swarovski rhinestones! 

Contact Fresh Printz for all your custom apparel, sporting goods, awards and signage needs! Don't forget to tell them Hunter sent you!

Fresh Printz Inc.
2202 N Totten Circle Suite D
North Vernon, IN 47265
Phone: 812-718-2078
Email: fp@freshprintzink.com
URL: www.freshprintzink.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/freshprintzink 

June 8th & 9th Looking For Volunteers!

BAKE SALE NEWS -

Hey everybody! If anyone wants to volunteer to help run the different tables, please  email Abbey Sturgeon  at abbey.sturgeon@yahoo.com! She is trying to get a tentative schedule put together so everyone knows where to be and when! It will just be 3 hours per volunteer. The hours will be for both days as follows: 8am-11, 11-2, 2-5, 5-8pm. We are running a few tables with the baked items, and a couple for merchandise and the raffle! Read the following for more information on the event

  Thanks guys!

2-Day Bake Sale & 50/50 Raffle Event For Hunter!

2-Day Bake Sale & 50/50 Raffle Event 
North Vernon City Park

604 N State St, N. Vernon, Indiana

Homemade goodies, t-shirts, jewelry and raffle proceeds to benefit procuring a wheelchair accessible van for 16-year-old Hunter Darlage who was born with Cerebral Palsy. Due to recent medical events, Hunter requires increased medical care. Hunter and his family are in need of wheelchair accessible van so he can travel in comfort and safety!

Come out to enjoy the day! The 2^nd Annual Indiana Cardinals June Jam is going on! Stop at the Famer's Market (8am-1pm)! Or just play in the sunshine! There is a large pool, play ground and picnic areas! Something for everyone to enjoy!

Events start at 8:00 AM both days

50/50 Raffle
Need not be present to win! Winner to be notified by phone!

Grand prize –50% of proceeds!
$1.00 per Ticket
$5.00 for 6 Tickets
$20.00 for arm’s length run

Hunter will draw the winner on June 9th at the end of the tournament!!

All donations welcome!

COME SEE US BY THE CONSESSION STAND!

ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS

Hunter's Heroes is looking for a little help in order to purchase a wheelchair accessible van for an awesome 16 year old with Cerebral Palsy. 

If you are interested in participating in a fundraising event or in offering a sales promotion, we will prominently feature you on our blog, provide you with a custom press release you may use to promote the event/promotion and promote you and your endeavor in all our assorted avenues of social media. While we do have a few restrictions (such as your product must be family friendly), we are generally happy to work with most companies. It's a win-win in my book! 

Please send email to heroes4hunter@gmail.com if interested. 

Garlitch Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, The Newest Member of Hunter's Heroes!

Garlitch Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

2795North State Highway 7
North Vernon, IN 47265
1-800-406-4513
Garlitch on Facebook

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 June 2, 2013

 Recently, I was introduced to the Darlage family of North Vernon, Indiana after they had entered a contest sponsored by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association for a wheelchair accessible van for their 16-year-old son Hunter. From March through May his family and friends,affectionately dubbed "Hunter's Heroes", successfully harnessed social media and ensured that Hunter received enough votes to land in the top 5% of entrants. Despite the Heroes’ best efforts, and obtaining semi-final status, Hunter was not chosen as a finalist and did not win one of three vans that he and his family so desperately need.

In addition to Cerebral Palsy and a myriad of other medical issues, Hunter has suffered severe complications from recent orthopedic reconstructive surgery of both femoral sockets of the pelvic girdle. This involved deepening both sockets and sculpting both femoral balls to seat them deeper into the sockets. Sadly, a follow up exam has revealed that Hunter has developed post-operative Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head. Translation - insufficient blood supply to the reconstructed area causing his bones to die. As a result, Hunter is looking at a possible double hip replacement at the age of 16. To cap the day, shortly after receiving that horrible news; Hunter suffered a fifteen-minute seizure during which he stopped breathing.

The Darlages travel 500-750 miles weekly to meet Hunter's medical needs, costing a small fortune in gas alone. There simply aren't the funds to purchase the tools that would make the family’s lives a little easier, especially now that Hunter is facing another extensive surgery in the next month and likely will endure many more in the future. Having to lift Hunter from his specially fitted wheelchair to transfer him in and out of vehicles is excruciatingly painful for him and causes him excessive anxiety. This ultimately complicates the transference of his 5' 5", 125-pound (and growing) body safely. When asked what effect a wheelchair accessible van would have, Hunter’s mother, Monica, said, "It would be a dream come true for Hunter to be able to ride comfortably and securely in his wheelchair and not endure the extra pain and discomfort" caused by a standard vehicle seat.

 The Darlages are an extraordinary family, caring for not one, but two special needs children (their oldest son is autistic). Financially they are unable to afford most of the expensive equipment that would make Hunter more comfortable and simplify the tasks of caring for him. Medicaid doesn't cover equipment like an at-home therapy table to assist in taking care of Hunter's personal hygiene, portable wheelchair ramps which would allow Hunter to be more easily mobile at home or a wheelchair accessible van to transport him more safely and comfortably.

 Garlitch Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram is proud to join the ranks of Hunter’s Heroes. We are committed to not only assisting in securing a safe and comfortable wheelchair accessible vehicle for Hunter, but we are steadfast in our desire to raise the funds to purchase it as well. In the coming weeks and months, the family at Garlitch Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram invites you to join us for a host of fundraising activities we will be holding for Hunter. Please contact me, David Griggs, Internet Director either by calling 812-346-6800 or by email at dgriggs@garlitch.com for more information on how you can help Garlitch Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram realize this dream for Hunter and his Heroes or for media relations. You can also contact Abbey Sturgeon for fundraising related matters via email at abbey.sturgeon@yahoo.com