Last Saturday, the Clinton Rotary Club overflowed with people in gray and red shirts who came to a chili lunch and raffle. The mood of the room was exuberant, but the event was not a celebration of the Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl win.
It was a fundraiser to support Brenda Hunter in her battle against MDS, which is related to non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
The chili lunch was organized by a team of Brenda’s family, including her sister, Bretta Plumlee, plus friends and former coworkers at Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare. The team planned the chili lunch on Zoom meetings, Bretta said, and donated food and tableware.
Brenda is retired after working at Golden Valley Memorial Health Care for 35 years, her sister said. She was diagnosed seven years ago with MDS, and has received chemotherapy treatments and blood transfusions at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, a research hospital in Houston, Texas.
Brenda is now in need of stem cell transplants. At the end of March, Bretta is scheduled to go to Houston to donate stem cells. Then Brenda will go to Houston for the transplants, followed by intensive chemotherapy, and possibly stay for months, until her immune system responds, Bretta said.
The family is hoping for quicker results, Bretta said. Bone marrow transplants or blood stem cell transplants, which replace unhealthy stem cells with healthy ones, can cure MDS or delay a relapse.
Organizers Krista Thompson and Kelsi Green, two of Brenda’s nieces, have already helped raise more than $20,000 to help cover medical and travel expenses, Bretta said. C-Squared supports the fundraising effort by making the gray and red t-shirts and red wrist bracelets.
Last Saturday, 250 people poured into the Rotary Building, filling the 12 tables set up in the main hall, plus tables in the front hall meeting room. Each table had a paper covering inscribed with the words “Her Battle Is Our Battle” and “#Brenda Strong.” Many people wore t-shirts printed by C-Squared with the supportive sentiments.
Brenda’s mother, Grandma Nancy, and Krista Thompson took donations at the door. They also had cards for people to sign to give to Brenda.
In the kitchen, Sharon Goth, Jewel Frame, Gail Mothersbaugh and Lana Monard ladled up two types of chili, beef and tomato, and white chicken chili. It was served with corn chips, shredded cheese, cornbread, cake, lemonade and iced tea. Friends and family members contributed the ingredients for the lunch, Bretta said. Family friend Bill Thole donated ingredients for the cornbread and brownies, which were baked at the Clinton Senior Center, Bretta said. Community volunteers helped serve, and young family members carried trays and bussed tables.
“The Clinton Rotary Club graciously donated use of the room,” Bretta said.
At a table on the front wall, Brenda’s niece Nicole McWain, and Brenda’s daughter, Ava Herrera, sold raffle tickets as part of the fundraising effort. A great number of people bought raffle tickets, Bretta said.
Raffle prizes included a Kansas City Chief’s package —a Super Bowl cap, KC pennant, program books, and an official KC Chiefs football signed by George Kartloftis — donated by the Thompson family. Other prizes were a KC fire pit with everything to make s’mores, a guided fishing trip on Truman Lake with Richard Bowling, and a side of beef, donated by the Anstine family.
Winners of the raffle prizes will be announced later this week, Nicole said. For more information, go to Brenda’s Battle with MDS facebook.
Bretta said the team wants to thank the community for their support and donations for Brenda’s battle, but mostly, she said, “for your continued prayers.”
