Small-town fundraisers for a local resident battling a serious disease are not uncommon.
Events for a complete stranger, however, don't happen every day.
That will be the case June 21 in the Butler County village of Abie, Neb., population 108, at the first Beat Breast Cancer Mud Volleyball Tournament.
Organizer Jeremy Stanislav, a Lincoln advertising account manager, said that once he heard the story of a young Lincoln woman's fight against cancer, he decided to dedicate the proceeds to her.
Karla Keller, 23, a fitness director at Prairie Life Fitness Center in Lincoln, underwent a double mastectomy for an aggressive form of breast cancer earlier this year.
Stanislav, 30, a former walk-on football player at Nebraska who grew up in Prague, Neb., said he learned of her story from his girlfriend.
"I chose Karla not because I know her. I've actually only met her once. I chose her because I feel she has been dealt an unfair hand, being so young," said Stanislav, whose grandmother died of breast cancer.
He said he hopes to raise a couple of thousand dollars to help Keller defray the costs of ongoing treatment and reconstructive surgery.
Stanislav said a friend has donated the use of land for the event in Abie, about 45 west of Omaha and about 40 miles north of Lincoln. His father is donating equipment to dig the mud volleyball pits. The Abie Diner, opening June 1, will provide food and beverages. Other businesses will donate auction items.
Keller, a native of Wayne, Neb., said she's very appreciative of Stanislav's efforts and those of friends and other complete strangers who have helped her.
"That's what's helped me get through this, the love and generosity of people," Keller said. She said she hopes the event will increase awareness among young women of the importance of breast self-examinations.
--Contact the writer: 402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com To see more of the Omaha World-Herald, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.omaha.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Omaha World-Herald, Neb. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2008 Omaha World-Herald, Neb.