Holmes County Kidney Fund Auction slated for early June

  • By Shelly Webb
  • May 21, 2010
  • 503
                        
For 34 years the Holmes County Kidney Fund has been helping area residents with the expenses connected to renal ailments. The fund was first created in 1976 by Lizzie Ann Yoder, who oversaw the fund until her death in 1979. Her children have worked to keep the fund alive and today it is chaired by her son, Marvin Yoder. “The annual auction is one of the main fundraising events of the Holmes County Kidney Fund,” Yoder explained. “Our case load is bigger than ever and the costs of medications are soaring so we rely heavily on the funds raised through our annual sale.” Approximately $400,000 has been raised in the past 10 years for the fund. However, with a monthly expense budget of $10,000, funds are depleted quickly. No one involved with the kidney fund receives a salary or stipend as the entire project is manned by volunteers. “The funds we raise are used to help assist people without insurance and also people that have insurance,” Yoder said. “We try to help with costs not covered by insurances for those folks that do have coverage. Much of our assistance is with medication costs and sometimes we help with transportation costs to and from dialysis as well. The medications we assist with are critical because without these drugs the individuals cannot survive so our mission is very important to many people.” Anyone that receives a kidney transplant has to undergo lifelong drug therapy to make sure their body doesn’t reject the new organ. The kidney fund assists individuals with these anti-rejection drugs, which are a major need and huge cost. Although this year’s auction will be held Saturday, June 5, at the Mt. Hope Auction Barn, Friday evening, June 4, will actually be the kickoff for the event with a volleyball tournament, cornhole tournament and other family-oriented activities. This will also give individuals a chance to see the merchandise that will be sold the next day. On Saturday, things will get underway at 9 a.m. sharp with a pancake and sausage breakfast. Local handcrafted furniture will be sold at 11, and a quilt sale will start at 1 p.m. There will be a lunch stand with barbecued chicken, homemade ice cream and other delicious foods as well. “One thing that is new for us this year is the sale of a building,” Yoder said. “Thanks to many local businesses we are able to auction off a 30-by-40 foot frame building for a buyer’s level site. All the material and labor has been donated by various businesses and we appreciate their support more than I can even say.” The building will offer 9-foot, 6-inch ceilings, 2-by-4 stud walls, 25 year shingles, aluminum soffit, seamless aluminum gutters, 4-inch concrete floor, vinyl slider windows with insulated glass and screens, 10-by-8 foot overhead Wayne insulated door, vinyl siding (color choice by owner), and much more. Building permits are the responsibility of the purchaser. Questions regarding the building may be directed to Roy Yoder at 330-231-0983. “We are very excited about all the great items our auction receives every year and are especially excited about this new building,” Yoder shared. “I am grateful for all the support we receive from the community and thankful that in turn we can help others.”


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