Karing 4 Kara

WOW! (Again)

2009-10-04T09:17:00.001-07:00

I never imagined that we could have another event as successfull as the yard sale. But, we did! We actually made more lastnight than we did at the yard sale. Amazing! Simply amazing! I will never be able to thank everyone properly. I wish I could write everyone a thank you and hand deliver it. But, that is impossible. So, I will do my best on this blog.

Mr. and Mrs. Walker- Thank you for letting us use your beautiful facility!

Stevie, Colt & Mary Bartholomew- Thank you for putting together the event. Thank you for your time and hard work.

Lanny Rice- Thank you for announcing. You worked really hard lastnight and we appreciate you very much!

Rachel Dixon- I can't thank you enough. I don't know what we would have done without you lastnight!

Rusty Collins- Thank you! You did a great job at the pie auction.

Sandy Wyatt- Thank you! You were a huge help lastnight.

Calvin Billingsly-

Mike Stewart- Thank you for cooking us some delicious beans!

Lance Lee- Thank you for all of your help with the event and pie auction!

Warren Napier- Hay donation

Jake and Woody- Thank you for advertising!

Volunteers- Michael Warren, Mandy Hunt, Donna Sorters, Hawkins Family, Doss Family, Beth Coyle, Brandie, Krystina....I am sure I am leaving someone off. Thank you for volunteering your time and all of your hard work!

Bakers- WOW! We had baked goods everywhere! We sold some of the individually wrapped items in the concession stand. They were a hit! We sold more of the baked items than candy. We were short on time and didn't get to sell everything in the pie auction. We had SO much stuff. The items that didn't make the auction were sold bake sale style inside. Thank you to everyone who baked items for the sale and cornbread for the dinner. Everything looked amazing!

Participants- We had a huge turn out for the team sorting event. We never imagined having that many teams. We ran really late. Thank you for participating, your donations and your patience. We had a few veterans there, but most of us had never been to a team sorting event. We appreciate you so much!

MLC Band- THANK YOU! You guys were amazing. I could have sat outside and listened to you all night. I am sorry that we were running behind. I am sad that all our participants didn't get the opportunity to listen to you play. You did a great job. I can't thank you enough for stepping in for us when the other band cancelled.

PG East Lab- Thank you for the posters! You did a great job!

Patrons- This wouldn't have been successful with out you! We hope you had a great time.

Business- Thank you for donating items for the silent auction!

American Drive-In

Arvest

Backyard Burger

Bank of Fay

Burgerland

Cavendars

Crescent Hotel

Crescents Dept Store

Discount T Shirts & Embroidery

Dr. Bain

Dr. Green

Flowers and Friends

Gaby's Mex Grill

Gas N Roll

Hair to Be Different

Harps

Hogeye Pallet

Huffs

J&B

Jims

Luginbuels Funeral Home

Magnolia Jewlery

Malco Movies

One Stop

Ozark Sportsman Supply

Ozarks Electric

Salon 125/ David Ames

Simmons Bank

Simply Hair

Sonic

Sterling Drug

The Eye Center

The Flower Shop

Tractor Supply

True Value

U Name It!

Colonial Courts

Redfeather

Reliable Poultry

Silent Auction.

2009-10-02T17:42:00.001-07:00

This is one of our prize items. It is a Razorback canvas autographed by Ryan Mallett and a Razorback Frame! My cousins painted these! They do amazing work. To see more of their items, click on this link: U Name It. Come out and visit us on Saturday so you can bid on these items!

Thanks.

2009-09-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

Karing 4 Kara

Team Sorting and Dinner

It’s almost here! We are reminding everyone of the Karing 4 Kara benefit that will be held on Saturday, October 3rd. There will be a team sorting starting at 2pm, a bean and cornbread dinner starting at 6pm and a band playing at 7pm. A silent auction will be held throughout the day, as well as a pie auction just before dinner time!! If you can’t make it to the team sorting event, please come visit us for dinner!! The MLC Crew (Dr. Andrew Bain and Mr. Pat Hall are members) has agreed to play for us to entertain everyone that comes! We are very excited about this event and hope that lots of people can come and share a good time while helping Kara and her Family. All of the proceeds from this event will go to them! Your $5 dinner ticket (under 5 free) will also buy you a chance in a drawing and you will be getting some good entertainment in the mix!!

We have received so many donations for this event!! We are very excited for everyone to see what the silent and pie auctions will hold! We want to thank everyone that made this event possible with their donations of time, resources, talents, baked goods, prayers, and love! The support for Kara has been amazing in this town! We are overwhelmed to see how much people really care. Please come out and see us at the Willow Springs Indoor Arena on Viney Grove Rd. (Mr. Larry Walker’s) on Saturday and join in the fun!

There are a few extra things we’d like to give you to think about. There are some bleachers in the arena, but if you could bring your lawn chairs it would help us out with seating. We are in the process of getting someone to loan us tables, so we aren’t sure how many we will have available. Also, please remember that Willow Springs is an alcohol-free arena. Thanks to all of you for support!! We look forward to seeing you there!

With Much Love and Thanks,

Cassie & Crystal

A Note of Thanks

Business
American Drive-In
Arvest
Backyard Burger
Bank of Fay
Burgerland
Cavendars
Crescent Hotel
Crescents Dept Store
Discount T Shirts & Embroidery
Dr. Bain
Dr. Green
Flowers and Friends
Gaby's Mex Grill
Gas N Roll
Hair to Be Different
Harps
Hogeye Pallet
Huffs
J&B
Jims
Luginbuels Funeral Home
Magnolia Jewlery
Malco Movies
One Stop
Ozark Sportsman Supply
Ozarks Electric
Salon 125/ David Ames
Simmons Bank
Simply Hair
Sonic
Sterling Drug
The Eye Center
The Flower Shop
Tractor Supply
True Value
U Name It!

A big thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Walker for donating the facility. Also, thank you to Stevie and Colt Bartholomew, Lanny Rice, Rusty Collins, and Jake and Woody.

Thank you to each person that baked, donated, and helped make this benefit possible for Kara and her family. God Bless You All!!!

Whew!

2009-09-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

I know I have already used that as a title post, but I am going to use it again. We have been super busy! And, we have gotten some awesome donations. Here is a list of some of the items we will be selling in the silent auction:

Razorback Canvas Autographed by Ryan Mallett

Free Night Stay at Crescent Hotel and Spa

Free Hair Cuts

Tons of Restaurant Gift Certificates

There are too many to list. THANK YOU, to all of our local business that donated. THANK YOU, Ryan Mallett!

Please pray for Kara and her family. Kara started oral chemo on Tuesday.

See you on October 3rd!

FAQ.

2009-09-18T07:22:00.001-07:00

How Can I Donate Money?
Paypal- There is a link on the right side of this blog.
Arvest- The account number is 22808798. Please make any checks payable to Kara McConnell. This is a special account for Karing 4 Kara benefit, but please DO NOT make checks out to Karing 4 Kara!
In Person-

We have a lot of great donations for the silent auction! But, we can't have too many. Please contact us if you can donate something for the silent auction. We are hoping to get the chicken donated and we have someone to cook the beans. But, we need people to make cornbread. We also need pies and baked goods for the pie auction. Some other things that would be useful are plates, napkins, bowls, canned soda ect ect. We can come pick up donated items and baked goods. If you are baking items, please make sure it does not need to be refrigerated.

I want to bake an item for the pie auction or donate items for the silent auction. Who do I contact?
Email- cryshamilton@gmail.com or karing4kara@gmail.com
Call- Crystal at 479-263-2931 or Cassie at 479-601-2914

We will also need people to work in the concession stand help clean up afterwards! Email us or call is if you would like to volunteer!

Thank you!

Reminder.

2009-09-15T19:09:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to remind everyone that donations can be made through Paypal. There is a link on the right side of this blog.

Update.

2009-09-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

Kara got test results back today. The CT Scan showed no tumors! Her bones are caner-free and her heart is strong enough for chemo! God is good!

Pie Auction.

2009-09-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

We will be having a pie auction at the Team Sorting Event on October 3, 2009. If you would like to bake something, please email me at cryshamilton@gmail.com to sign up. You don't have to bake a pie. You can make a cake, cookies ect. I would suggest making something that doesn't have to be refrigerated. Thanks!

Team Sorting.

2009-09-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Cassie set up a new event page on Facebook for the next Karing 4 Kara fundraiser. If anyone would like to help, please let us know! We will need items for the silent auction, homemade pies, baked items for concession and dessert after dinner, drinks, other concession candy, volunteers, and team sorters! We will start at 2 pm on October 3, at Willow Springs Ranch indoor arena. Team sorting - 2 classes - class 4 and an open class, a kid's event, pie auction and silent auction. At dinner time we will be serving a meal and having some sort of entertainment. Cassie is working on getting a band to play. It will be a lot of fun! Willow Springs Ranch is an alcohol free area, please respect the rules of the Ranch. We appreciate Mr. and Mrs. Walker and family for letting us use their facilities! Thank you so much!

Update From Kara.

2009-08-30T19:31:00.001-07:00

Kara posted this update on the Karing4Kara site on FaceBook

I have contacted a doctor at MD Anderson in Houston. I just want to be sure this is the best treatment option and they don't offer anything different. We will see what he says... In the meantime, please pray for Mike and I...for peace of mind and strength. This is a test for both of us...physically and emotionally. Please pray for Katharine and Karaline... who are about to watch their mom go thru something I pray NONE of your children ever have to watch. Katharine is just way too smart. Little to nothing gets by her. Karaline is still just young enough to be oblivious but she still recognizes when I don't feel good. I pray I will be able to go back to work on September 8 and work during the treatment, which lasts for one year. Thank you to everyone for everything. I gain strength from your words of encouragement, your hugs and your prayers!! I couldn't do this without you guys!!!

One of the oncologists from Mayo did call me to confirm I can be in the trial study for the oral chemo. There was some confusion because I am still under care for my brain tumor (meningioma) and may have to have gamma knife radiation next Feb.to kill any residual tumor left from my crainiotomy. The good news is I can actually go to Little Rock for treatment; it is a nationwide study and is done the same straight across the board. I plan to call UAMS tomorrow and see when I can get an appointment with the oncologist down there who is in charge of the study. With any luck, I will have appointments sat up and be ready to take the treatment by October...which my deadline to participate. I will be the first to admit...I am a mess. My 'brave face' is waivering. I just keep coming back to the idea that doing SOMETHING (oral chemo) is better than doing NOTHING.

Shirts.

2009-08-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

The shirts are done! We should be able to get them to you this week. I think Cassie delivered a few last week. Thank you for your patience. we had a huge order to fill. We ordered over 65 shirts after the yard sale! Shannon and Travis had to order more shirts. I want to thank Travis and Shannon. They are working very hard and getting nothing for it. THANK YOU!

Team Sorting.

2009-08-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

With Colt's help, we set a date for the next benefit for Kara. It is going to be team sorting, silent auction and dinner. It is scheduled for October 3rd. I will post more details when we get them! I would like to thank Colt and Steve for helping us out. I would also like to thank the Walker Family for letting us use their arena! THANK YOU!

Update.

2009-08-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

This is the update Cassie posted on Facebook:

Kara just called me from MN. They saw the oncologist and the urologist today. The oncologist told them that because of her brain surgery and the possibility of radiation (for her brain tumor), she wasn't eligible for the trial study she had considered participating in. They also told her that, as of now, she is cancer free and they can't prescribe chemo as a preventive measure. She may have micro cancer cells in her body, but they have no way of knowing. She will have scans every 3 months to see if the cancer shows back up. The urologist (who isn't a very positive man) says that the cancer could/will show back up in other parts of her body, and the only way to find it is in the scans. Since we are all a bunch of believers with mutitudes of faith....let's put it to good use in many prayers for Kara. We have the ability to petition the good Lord for miracles and he can perform them as He sees fit. Let's rally together and shower Kara and her family with prayers, faith, and positivity!!

WOW!

2009-08-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a wonderful place to live. I love this town! We raised over $10,000 today! Unbelievable! I appreciate everyone who participated. We wouldn't have been able to accomplish this without our donations, volunteers, bakers and generous patrons. I am so proud of this town. I want to say THANK YOU to Travis and Shannon at Crescents Dept. Store for donating their time on the shirt orders. I would also like to say THANK YOU to Mitch and Mandy at One Stop for donating our beverages today. THANK YOU to Harps for donating our donuts! And, THANK YOU to Jake for advertising on Kix 104! This was a team effort and wouldn't have been possible without each and every one of you. I think there are many reasons this event was successful; God, generous people and lots of hard work. The most important reason is Kara. She is the reason people reached out. She is a kind, caring, generous person. This event was a success because it was for an amazing person!

We are still planning a fundraiser for October. It will be a rodeo/pie auction/dinner. I will keep you posted.

Kara has a long road ahead. Please remember her in your prayers.

THANK YOU!

Hand Painted Canvas Donation.

2009-08-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

My cousin Valerie hand painted this Razorback Canvas and is donating it. It will be at the Karing4Kara yard sale tomorrow. We might have a little silent auction for it. You can see some of her other creations at

U Name It! Thanks Val!

Final Call!

2009-08-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

If you have items to donate, please drop them off tomorrow night. Christina will be at the school all day and can let people in. I will probably get there between 5 and 6. We will probably be there until 9 or 10. If you are baking items for the bake sale, please bring them tomorrow night or before 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. Again, THANK YOU to all of the volunteers!

Whew!

2009-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

We got a lot accomplished tonight. We got most of the donations into the cafeteria and sorted. We have a lot of sorting and pricing left to do. We should have some more donations coming tomorrow and Friday. To all of the people who are donating items, baking and volunteering their time....THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I don't know if "Thank You" covers it, but I am really tired. So, it will have to do for now! This yard sale wouldn't be possible without you. We got so much done tonight and had fun doing it! Thank You!

Here are some photos-

Reminder.

2009-08-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to remind everyone the sale is next weekend! WOO HOO! If you are donating items, you can drop them off Wednesday, Thursday or Friday around 6:00 p.m. at the Intermediate School. We will also be having a bake sale. Some of you mentioned you would be donating baked goods. Please bring your baked goods to the school Friday night or by 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Thank you!

Shirts.

2009-08-01T17:48:00.001-07:00

The shirts are done! They are $10 each. We aren't taking any orders for shirts on Facebook or by phone. We have order forms and need to collect the money when you place your order! The sizes are as follows: Youth - XS (2/4), S, M, L Adult - S, M, L, XL, XXL. They are 100% Pre-shrunk cotton. Come place your orders at the Karing 4 Kara Benefit Yard & Bake Sale on Aug. 8 at the PG Intermediate School on Viney Grove Rd. Proceeds go to Kara.

Here are some photos.

Thank you, Shannon and Travis! (owners of Crescents Dept Store) Without them, this wouldn't have been possible. They have been such an enormous help to us. I hope everyone will drop by Crescents and buy something from them! They have a lot of great stuff!

Mayo.

2009-07-30T21:31:00.001-07:00

As of now it looks like Kara will be heading to Mayo on August 24th. She is trying to get that changed because the girls go back to school that week. Please tell everyone you know about the yard sale. We have TONS of stuff. It is going to be great. We will also be selling baked goods at the yard sale. Please spread the word! The yard sale is August 8th at the Prairie Grove Intermediate Building.

Update From Kara.

2009-07-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

"We got the call from Dr. Chow about the pathology on my kidney tumor. It was a high grade, renal cell carcinoma. In real words, kidney cancer with high propability there are micro cancer cells other places in my body not showing as tumors yet. I will return in 4 wks to Mayo to meet with an oncologist to discuss the positives and negatives of oral chemotherapy versus 'just watching it' thru scans. I refuse to be beaten! As you can guess, the confirmation call came as pretty hard news. Please pray for Mike and I's peace of mind that we are making the right decisions...and for Mike's strength to keep taking care of me and the girls. He is running ragged. Thanks, guys. Love all you back."

On Their Way!

2009-07-20T12:13:00.001-07:00

Kara and Mike are on their way home! If you are interested in taking them a meal and haven't signed up yet, please call Josh at 466-9447 or Chris 466-2063.

Out Of The Hospital.

2009-07-18T20:40:00.001-07:00

Kara was feeling sick earlier today because of the pain medication. She started feeling better this afternoon and was released from the hospital. She is staying at the hotel tonight! Mike said they will try to come home Monday if she is feeling well enough for the drive. No news on the pathology. Thank you for the prayers and concern!

Request.

2009-07-16T19:48:00.001-07:00

I know you have all been praying very hard for Kara, Mike and their family. We appreciate that more than you will ever know. The last couple of days have been very hard on all of them. Please say an extra prayer for them tonight. Thank you!

Update.

2009-07-16T18:12:00.001-07:00

Sorry to keep you all waiting. I had an eye appointment and have been in town all day. I didn't really have much information either. The last time I talked to Mike, Kara was still in recovery and they hadn't gotten to see her yet. What I do know: The surgery was a success. The doctors removed the cancer. They also removed some lymph nodes, purely as a precautionary measure. I will post more details when I get them. On behalf of Kara and Mike, THANK YOU for your prayers. You have no idea what it means to them!

This is the update Candice posted on Facebook:

"Kara is out of recovery and pulled through like the strong girl that she is! Preliminary pathology report shows urothelial cell carcinoma (bladder cancer) which was contained within the kidney. Comprehensive pathology report will come back sometime tomorrow. Keep praying, there are still lots of unanswered questions. Thank you for your prayers and support! Much love, Candice"

Surgery Day.

2009-07-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Kara's surgery started at 8:55. Please pray for Kara, Mike, their girls and the rest of their family.

Update!

2009-07-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

Kara just sent me a text. The MRI showed that the tumor is contained to the kidney. Dr. Chow is going to be able to do the laparoscopy after all! Surgery is scheduled for Thursday. They still think it looks like kidney cancer. They won't know anything about it until they remove the kidney. Keep praying!

Yard Sale

2009-07-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Christina and Mr. Warren, we will be having the yard sale at the Prairie Grove Intermediate Cafeteria. The date is August 8, 2009. Please contact me if you would like to donate items. I can meet you in town or come to your house and pick them up. You can email me or call me at 479-263-2931 to arrange a day and time.

Month of Meals!

2009-07-11T09:03:00.001-07:00

We are trying to get lunch and dinner provided for Kara's family after the surgery. We hope to get enough dinners for a month. If you want to sign up for lunch, dinner or both, please call Josh at 466-9447 or Chris at 466-2063.

Benefit

2009-07-09T21:40:00.001-07:00

Right now the yard sale is tentatively scheduled for August 8th. We haven't chosen a location yet. I will post when we know more. If you have items you want to donate, you can meet me or Cassie in Prairie Grove. Also, my husband can come pick up items from your house. We have a truck and trailer. I will post more information soon!

What Is Going On?

2009-07-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Kara was admitted to WRMC this week because of some complications. They found a tumor on her right kidney. The second CT scan showed the tumor was 8cm x 7cm and the doctor is 99.99% sure it is Renal Cell Carcinoma. All of the other organs and the lymph nodes looked OK. The doctors at WRMC wanted to remove the kidney on Thursday. Kara and Mike decided they would go back to Mayo for a second opinion.

For those of you who don't know, Kara was diagnosed in January with a Meningioma, a type of brain tumor. She had surgery to remove it at Mayo on February 4th. Numerous doctors would not operate because of the size and location of the tumor. She beat the odds. She will beat them again. She is one of the toughest women I know. Her faith amazes me.

Fundraisers are in the works. Kara's time off after her brain surgery exhausted all of her paid sick days. Their medical bills from Mayo clinic are astronomical. And, now they will have more bills from Mayo and unpaid time off. We are thinking we might have a large yard sale sometime in August.

If you are interested in donating items or working the yard sale please email me at cryshamilton@gmail.com.

Please pray hard for Kara, Mike and their girls.