Overwhelming support

Saturday’s fundraiser cookie jar auction for Tommy Sullivan packed the Hot Springs County Fair Building with auction items and generous community members.

The auction netted the largest amount brought in at one of these local fundraising auctions that continue to prove, over and over, just how caring and giving our community members can be.

Despite the snow storm that again blanketed Hot Springs County, people came from far and near to show their support for Sullivan and his family.

The history of the fundraising cookie jar auctions held in this community can be traced back to 1993.

There were eight high school boys who had been selected to go to the Down Under Bowl in Australia.

Donations were getting pretty hard to come by to send that many young men for a once in a lifetime football game.

John Gerrells was friends not only with the boys, but with their parents as well and the idea of a dinner and “slave auction” came up.

In the meantime, Gerrells read an article where a FFA group had held a cookie jar auction to raise money and it had been an instant hit. The ladies working on the dinner and auction took the idea and ran with it.

“We didn’t think eight cookie jars were going to make much,” Gerrells said, “but I wasn’t sure 50 cookie jars were going to sell.”

Happily, they did, and close to $4,000 was raised that night.

And the cookie jar auction was born.

Gerrells, John and Sandy Holm and countless other volunteers continue to give of their time at fundraiser after fundraiser, and community members continue to dig deep and donate either items or money.

Agencies representing the locations where the cookie jars are held often provide it free of charge. Meals are typically donated or groups raise money to fund the meals. At the event, the meal is then served at no charge, but donations are excepted.

The receivers of this generosity are often overwhelmed by the outpouring of support this little community can muster up.

To all involved, we offer up a big thank you.

As Gerrells himself said, “It’s a fact that we have a very generous community.”