A benefit dinner and pie auction for Southside Elementary School Principal Tamara Lane is planned for 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.
The event will include a barbecue chicken dinner with baked beans, followed by a pie auction. Lane was diagnosed with a brain tumor in September. She is currently working mornings at the school and undergoing treatments in the afternoon.
Money raised at the event will go toward helping the Lane family with ongoing medical expenses, but more than a fundraiser, the event will be an important show of support from the community, according to Dillon Butler, president of the FFA Alumni Association. Lane has made a big impact on the community during her 17-year career in the school district and her husband Will Lane has also made a big impact through his career as an insurance agent, he said.
"This will be some financial support for any bills they have coming up, but I really think more than that, it will a showing of support from the community -- more of a verbal, moral support, everybody showing them how much they mean to them, that will be just as big as a part as the money that is raised," Butler said.
Butler said there has already been an outpouring of support from the community. The Lane family is very involved in agriculture and showing cattle, and FFA members and ag teachers from other school districts such as Gravette and Farmington, just to name a few, approached him and asked how they could help.
"The (FFA) alumni kind of stepped up to take the lead, but it's tons and tons of people who care," he said.
The chicken for the meal was donated by Simmons Foods, Butler said. Tony Ferguson will be smoking the meat along with baked beans. Those who attend are asked to bring a side dish of their choice to compliment the dinner. There is no charge for the meal, but donations are appreciated.
"If you want dessert, you will need to buy a pie," Butler said with a laugh.
For more information, contact Dillon Butler at 479-228-0472 or Shea Gregory at 479-215-6994.
General News on 10/31/2018