Franke credits God in raising $75,000 for ill girl
Oct/100
Updated: 10.28.10
“It was a God thing,” said well-known realtor MARION FRANKE, referring to a three-day weekend that raised $75,000 for a young girl who suffers from rare brain tumors.
“DEBBIE GLENN and I were cochairmen. We put this fund raiser together in three and a half weeks and people came by the hundreds to aid this little girl and her parents,” Marion said.
The fund raising began Thursday by way of a golf tournament at West Fork that was overseen by KIM BOWLING. It brought in $15,000 with only a few days of preparation.
The beneficiary is DANIELLE BACON, 12, who lives at Willis with her parents PAUL BACON, an employee of Franke’s, and ANGIE BACON, a longtime mortgage loan officer.
Since being diagnosed in December, Danielle has undergone procedures at Texas Children’s Hospital and at M. D. Anderson Cancer Treatment Center in Houston.
After a recent reassessment, doctors found two additional brain tumors and said they could do nothing more. A trip to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis confirmed that grim report.
The last hope the family has is alternative treatment from a Houston practitioner who has generated some success in cases like Danielle’s.
“But it’s very expensive,” Marion said. “They need $30,000 just to start.” The long ordeal has depleted insurance and most assets the family owned.
”The parents had to miss work a lot; medical expenses are enormous, yet routine living costs still pile up,” Marion said.
On Saturday, supporters sponsored a Fun Run at Moran Ranch, a Willis property with a rich history that has been in Franke’s family for a long time.
Three hundred runners became involved, accruing $10,000. Many city of Montgomery residents and school groups participated in various aspects of the fund raiser.
A total of $10,000 has come in from the Internet at www.cureourbacon.com, which is still accepting donations.
“One anonymous donor gave $5,000 on our Web,” Marion noted. “A lot of other folks who truly are not wealthy reached deep into their pockets to give.”
Saturday’s efforts continued past the Fun Run, with an afternoon Fall Family Festival at Moran Ranch. Cook teams led by ROBERT GRAHAM and JIMMY KOUKAS donated barbecue plates that 450 attendees bought for $10 each.
A carnival atmosphere with rides prevailed. Football teams from Willis and New Caney were on hand, lots of balloons, a petting zoo, as well as church groups selling snow cones and cotton candy. Two bands, COUNTRY KIN and DUGAN REED AND THE HERD, volunteered to provide music. KADIE DYER, of Willis, brought her grand champion standard poodle and its companion to further amuse attendees.
Zebra-printed cloths covered dining tables with accents of gray (the color representing brain cancer), lime green and pink.
Artist CARYN COYNE POWELL painted butterflies and other whimsical beings on faces, including Danielle’s, who was present after taking intermittent rest periods. She had an ample amount of pink applied.
“Despite what you hear about ‘today’s teens,’ many really good kids came to help,” Marion said. “For three days it was just standing back and watching God work.”
JADE SIMMONS, the extraordinary pianist who is bringing classical young performers to SCOTT CUTLER’S music room in The Woodlands, provided an update about the performers in THE WOODLANDS SALON SERIES November 5.
Jade is founder of IMPULSE ARTIST SERIES that promotes the best young classical musicians to be found anywhere.
“Performers will include Canadian trumpeter SURESH SINGARATNAM; New York based harpist BRANDEE YOUNGER; and keyboarder KRIS BECKER,” Jade said.
The Houston Press named Impulse the Best Nonprofit Arts Series of 2009, describing it as “replacing the stuffy image of dead guys in white wigs, with fresh, young cutting-edge artists!”
Listeners will be treated to piano selections from Ms. Simmons in a rare performance.
By Peggie MillerPerforming arts columnist