Latest news with #RedbirdRibbonWalk
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin veterans unite with locals to combat hunger crisis
WRIGHTSTOWN, Wis. (WFRV) – Veterans and community members came together Saturday morning to fight hunger, this time, not on the battlefield, but at the donation table. As part of the national VFW Day of Service, members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts and Auxiliaries from Wisconsin's 8th District launched a district-wide 'Veterans Against Hunger' initiative. The final celebration and food drop-off event was held at Cotter Funeral Home in Wrightstown, marking the end of a multi-week campaign supporting rural food pantries and a local animal rescue. Michelle Leick-Leurquin, VFW Post 2113 surgeon and service officer, said the idea came from a conversation with fellow veteran Randy Hansen. 'We know that the southern Brown County food pantries don't get a lot of support the bigger area food pantries get, like Green Bay and De Pere, they get the support of Paul's Pantry,' she said. 'We know that they are in need, especially as our area is growing.' De Pere's Redbird Ribbon Walk unites community for cancer funds Donations were collected at multiple locations, including Community First Credit Union, Dick's Family Foods, and local fire and police departments, which helped organize 'Fill the Squad Car' drives in both De Pere and Wrightstown. Items collected will be distributed to five small food pantries in the area and the newly created Wild and Free Animal Rescue Group. Leick-Leurquin, a 22-year veteran, said the event gave her a chance to keep serving even after retirement. 'I still crave the service,' she said. 'The support is huge. It really gives you that warm feeling in your heart knowing that you're able to give back to everybody and continue to serve.' Boy Scouts from De Pere Troop 1039 also helped collect and sort food at the final event. 'I love helping the community, it's something I've always loved doing,' said Lucas Beck, an Eagle Scout. 'For us it gives us service hours but it helps us know that we got to help the community, that we got to impact it just a little bit more.' Organizers say they hope the campaign inspires more service-based events in the future, uniting veterans and civilians around a common cause. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
De Pere's Redbird Ribbon Walk unites community for cancer funds
DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) – On Saturday morning, dozens of community members gathered at De Pere High School for the fourth annual Redbird Ribbon Walk, an event born out of loss and built on hope. The walk was started in 2022 by Dan Van Straten in memory of his wife, Jayma, a beloved teacher in the De Pere School District who passed away from brain cancer that summer. Longtime Brown County public servant Tom Hinz dies at 83 Since then, the event has raised more than $20,000 to benefit the school's Sting Cancer Club, a student-led group that helps local families impacted by cancer. 'I've served on the school board here for 12 years. I'm the public address announcer here for most of the athletics, and my wife worked in the district for 19 years,' said Van Straten. 'She was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018, and she passed away in the summer of 2022.' Van Straten says the fundraiser helps students continue Jayma's legacy of service. 'The idea was to raise funds for the De Pere High School Sting Cancer Club. They do so much great work in the community, giving back to other families with gas cards, food cards, and making things for the hospital,' he said. This year's walk carried extra meaning, following the recent loss of students in the district, including Hadley Baker, whose family remains an active part of the school community. 'I think it honestly brings our community together, this year more than anything,' said Keira Washington, the Sting Cancer Club president. 'We lost Hadley Baker this year, and that truly showed we all come together, and we can do it. This is very important. It keeps us united.' Washington, who helped organize the event, said the morning began with a tribute to Jayma, followed by a survivor-led walk, games, food trucks, bake sales, and raffles. Even Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson stopped by to lend his support. Watson, whose mother battled thyroid cancer, said the cause is close to his heart. 'A couple of students here came up to me and gave me the rundown of the event,' Watson said. 'This is a big cause for me — you know, my 'My Cause My Cleats' for the past couple of years has been supporting cancer awareness.' 'Community Spirit': Appleton PD and FD hit the ice for charity For Van Straten, the walk is about more than fundraising — it's about community resilience. 'We've lost so many members of the community to cancer this past year, and unfortunately, we've had several kids under the age of 12 that have passed away as well,' he said. 'So we need to come together as a community and keep coming back and keep giving back.' Bracelets handed out at the event carried a simple message: 'One day at a time.' And as Van Straten says, hope is the one thing that can never be taken away. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
