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 4-H kids from Blaine and Thomas counties spent an afternoon preparing baking mixes, which they will donate for auction to benefit two Brewster area men injured in a construction accident. CJ Grafton and Karl Christiansen were seriously injured in a fall while roofing in September. A benefit for the men will be held Dec. 6 at the Legion Hall in Brewster, and will include a soup & sandwich supper followed by the auction.
By ELLEN MORTENSEN
Chief Assistant Editor
It is never too early to start teaching children the art of giving. As we approach Thanksgiving, some Blaine and Thomas county kids are practicing that lesson - while the recipients of their giving have a lot to be thankful for.
In early September, two young Brewster area men were working on a roofing project for a local rancher. It was the kind of job Karl Christiansen and CJ Grafton had done many times before. But this day would end much differently than any previous day for these two men.
As Christiansen and Grafton were working, the farmhand that suspended them high above the ground suddenly gave out. The men plummeted an estimated 28 to 30 feet to the ground, a height considered to be a fatal fall by medical professionals.
Local emergency personnel arrived quickly, and upon assessing the situation the air care helicopter from Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney was called in. Grafton had landed feet first on the cement in the fall, while Christiansen landed in the dirt.
Grafton was airlifted to Kearney, where he underwent multiple surgeries for severe injuries to both feet and legs, his back and a knee.
“His feet looked like footballs,” said CJ’s mom, Margy.
CJ just came home about a week ago, after spending 68 days in the hospital. Margy says the extent of his injuries and his prognosis are still uncertain, as he is not yet allowed to bear any weight on his feet. He is only home temporarily, though where he will go next is yet to be determined.
Christiansen also underwent surgery for his injuries, which included a broken back in two places. He remains in a back brace, and is told it will be about six months before he can return to work.
“We are grateful they are both still alive,” says Sandy Christiansen, Karl’s mom. “We have been counting our blessings.”
Margy Grafton has long been an active supporter of 4-H. In fact, she started the Rough & Ready 4-H Club in Brewster. It just seemed natural, then, that local 4-H kids would step to the plate to help out following the accident.
Blaine and Thomas County 4-H members met at the Halsey Community Building Nov. 13 to work on a very special community service project. Using items which had been donated by Blaine County, the kids put together jars of baking mixes - lots of jars!
Layers of chocolate chips, brown sugar and other ingredients form the jarred mixes, which are then decorated with a colorful cloth and ribbon. These jars of goodies will be auctioned off at a benefit planned for the two men.
The Blaine/Thomas 4-H kids are no strangers to community service projects. This is the fourth year the group has done it, with past projects including handmade pillows given to local hospitals, and tied fleece blankets given to Cedars. This is, however, the first time the kids have made something to sell.
On Sunday, Dec. 6, the Legion Hall in Brewster will be the site of this special benefit. Soups, sandwiches and desserts will be served, and an auction of miscellaneous donated items - including the baking jars - will be sold. Funds raised at the event will go to Grafton and Christiansen to help with expenses from the accident.
“We are so grateful to the community for all their support, and to the emergency personnel for their quick response,” says Sandy.
Items for the auction are still being accepted. If you would like to donate an auction item, or are unable to attend the benefit and wish to make a donation for CJ and Karl, contact Shelly at 308-547-2244. |
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