We figured out a plan with the pig. And we hope it warms your heart like it did ours.
Friends in Need
Our friend, Ryan Kortemeyer, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma this summer. Not just any friend. A really good, family friend. Kya’s best friend’s dad type of friend. It was a gut punch and it upset their world. And when friends are in a situation like this, all I can think about is – HOW can we help? What can we do?
Like normal, Ross had an answer. We were in the heat of the hog battle with Kya and Willow (the pig). Kya wanted to keep it. We didn’t. Remember… we had a plan!
After a good week of “fighting” with Kya about it, Ross mentioned that maybe we could raffle off half the hog as a fundraiser for our friends, the Kortemeyers. I instantly knew his idea would be the answer to our problem and an awesome opportunity to raise money for our friends.
Convincing Kya
But first, we had to see what Kya thought. I told her about her dad’s idea in the car on the way to the school one evening. I cried while telling her. And she cried while she agreed to do it. We all immediately knew this was falling into place perfectly. It helped relieve her sadness about Willow and it allowed us to help our friends who would inevitably have bills rolling in. We knew we had to ask Megan, the wife, if she would approve. She had shot down a variety of fundraisers before that. But I figured she wouldn’t say no to Kya. And I was right.
We set to work. We weren’t sure what the details should be. But settled on $10 a ticket. Each submission would get a person’s name in the drawing one time. We also knew we would raffle off the hog at a volleyball game and had about a month to sell tickets. I posted about it on Facebook, Kya set herself up at a volleyball game, and by word of mouth. It was so fun to watch the Venmo notifications roll in on my phone. I know people love the Kortemeyer family and I know how giving our community can be in times of need. So I wasn’t surprised by the donations. In the end, we raised $6,600 for our friends.
A Generous Community
It doesn’t stop there. The person who won the hog donated the pork back to the Kortemeyers. It was so awesome to see that a random pig, who Kya loved all summer, was able to not only raise $6,600 but also help feed a family. It helped take the sting out of Willow no longer living on our ranch. And we were all reminded of how loving our community of Baltic is!