ROCK SPRINGS – Everyone knows someone fighting the battle against cancer. For one small group of residents, they do not just provide support but are joining the fight.
Last year, Jessie Yeager, Kris Clark, Angela Weber and Donald Tucker, with help from the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, helped raise funds for the family of James and Kristy McManus. This year the group has set their sights on helping the Godines Family.
Ricky Godines was recently diagnosed with a Stage III Germ Cell Tumor which is also called testicular cancer. The cancer has spread quickly to his lungs, liver and a softball size tumor was located near the left kidney area.
Ricky is married to Mari Godines and together they have four children, Rick, JR, John and LeeAnna. Ricky works at Patterson for seven years while Mari does home health care with the Young-At-Heart Senior Center.
The Godines family said that Ricky’s employer Patterson has been extremely generous in helping the family in their time of need.
With the cancer spreading the way it was, the Godines family packed up and on Nov. 11 and moved to Houston where Ricky started and is continuing chemotherapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Yeager said recently they received good news that the tumors were shrinking a bit but it is estimated Ricky will spend the next eight months receiving treatment.
The Godines family has definitely felt the strain of separation with Rick and JR staying in Rock Springs while the rest of the family is in Houston.
After hearing the group has again jumped into action and have several ways residents can help the Godines Family. Clark said the majority of the money raised will go to help with living expenses and offsetting medical costs. The group will be having a “Winner Take All” gun raffle. The winner of the raffle will take home, not one, but two guns. The first gun is a Axis Savage XP 30.06 while the second is a Mossberg 12 guage 870 Shotgun.
Tickets are $10 a piece or 3 for $25. The group will be at the Sweetwater Events Complex selling tickets at the Up In Arms gun show Jan. 10, 11, 12. The winner will be drawn on March 8 and is another way residents can help.
Medical Benefit
The cancer fighters will host a benefit dinner at the Sweetwater Events Complex on March 8. Yeager said the focus of the event is an “extremely fun community event” which is not only for the adults but for children. Besides dinner, there will also be music, dancing and family fun.
She explained there are so many events targeted for adults and the group’s goal is to create an event which can be a family night. This also honors the Godines’ because they are so family oriented.
Along with dinner and entertainment, Yeager explained there will also be an live and silent auction. The event will be at 6 p.m.
General admission seating for the event will be $20 a ticket. This includes admission to the benefit and dinner. There is also a VIP Gold Table which is $250. This includes a table for up to 10 guests, dinner, personalized placard, a personal cocktail waitress and a bottle of wine for the table.
Finally, there is a VIP PLatinum Table which is $350. This package includes a table for up to 10 guests, dinner, personalized placard, a personal cocktail waitress, a bottle of wine for the table, your business name printed in the benefit’s program, mention of your company in multiple radio broadcasts leading up to the benefit and verbal recognition during the benefit. Yeager and Clark said they are still finalizing the menu.
Tickets will go on sale Jan. 6 and both raffle and benefit tickets can be purchased at the Just Dance Studio at 423 5th St. The studio was inspired was to take part in the effort by their long time student LeeAnna and their special with Godines family.
Going to the benefit is a good way to donate, but the group also needs donations for the event. Yeager said they are looking for items for the live and silent auctions. They are also looking for volunteers who can go out in the community and get these live and silent auction goodies. The are also looking for dessert chefs to donate desserts for the event.
Anyone with questions, to donate items or for ticket information can call Jessie Yeager at 371-8689, Kris Clark at 389-0985, Don Tucker at (307) 840-2244 or Angela Weber at (801) 834-9947.
Donation fund
The third way people can get involved in making a donation at any Trona Valley Federal Credit Union to FBO Ricky Godines.
Why
Some residents might wonder why this small group of people are doing this for the past two years. Both Yeager and Clark are small business owners in town. Yeager, the owner of Just Dance Studio, said she meets a lot of people through her studio. She also started hearing about the struggles some local families are going through.
“I decided to use my status to help these families,” Yeager said.
Clark soon joined Yeager to help these families. Last year was the McManus family and after hearing the story of the Godines and how amazing their young son John is in the community, they joined their fight against cancer.
“He is one amazing little boy,” Yeager said of the young Godines man.
