Giving of ourselves benefits all of us
In several decades of living here, I have not seen a benefit as big and wide-reaching as Saturday night’s for Regan Gittlein and his family. Regan is the oldest of three children whose parents, Jeremey and Amy, are well known in ag circles, including 4-H, FFA and Extension.
The discussion about a benefit for Regan,who was severely injured in a July 16 vehicle accident, started about fair time with an offer of auctioning off a young heifer with funds going to the family to help with the expenses that can pile up when someone is hospitalized for nearly two months.
But, then someone had another offer of an auction item, then a benefit meal came into play and the event continued to grow. It ended up with 350 people at the benefit Saturday night, who gave free will donations for a delicious meal and also had the chance to bid on more than 110 auction items, all donated by people in southwest Nebraska.
Because everything was donated, the Gittleins will receive 100 percent of the proceeds.
The quality of both the meal and auction items gives testimony to how much people in this area care about each other. The Gittleins, who live in northeast rural Chase County, have a wide range of friends that extends over several counties. Maybe they didn’t realize how many friends they had until Saturday night.
Regan’s mom Amy said someone asked her if she knew everyone at the benefit Saturday night. “I looked around and I did,” she said, maybe a bit surprised herself.
Saturday’s benefit is a testament to how being good to others and caring for others should never be looked at as a burden. This is how we humans are supposed to act.
Washington D.C. is looked to for answers by a lot of people, but what goes on there—all the politicking, the back-stabbing, the distrust—is not what this country is about. You only have to look to a small town in southwest Nebraska to find out what life really means.
Welcome home Regan, and we hope you continue to get healthier each day!