Hampshire couple says thank you to the community
Bob and Gina Pearson of Hampshire would like to thank the community for its support.
Pearson, winner of the Daily Herald's 2011 Fittest Loser contest and a Hampshire resident, was involved in a serious automobile accident Oct. 26 in Genoa.
As a result of the crash, in which a semi-truck hit his pickup truck, Pearson sustained fractured vertebrae, 12 broken ribs, damage to his lungs, multiple facial fractures, a broken shoulder and elbow.
The married couple has three boys; Bob Pearson was unable to work due to his injuries and his wife stopped working to look after him.
Zion United Methodist Church in Hampshire responded by setting up a fund for the family at Fifth Third Bank that has so far collected more than $44,000. Additional cash and gift card donations amounted to $10,000.
In March, the church also organized a charity dance and raffle to benefit the family. Meanwhile, the Hampshire Lions Club donated proceeds from its annual Thanksgiving Turkey Raffle to the Pearsons.
Bob Pearson has been released from the hospital, but will be in rehab for several months, which means he still can't work.
You can make donations to the Pearson fund at Fifth Third Bank, 251 S. State St. in Hampshire. For more information, visit www.zionunitedmethodistchurchofhampshire.com/.
Golfing for a cause: The Hampshire Lions Club will hold its 21st annual charity golf tournament Friday, June 20, at Randall Oaks Golf Club and Banquets on Binnie Road, west of Randall Road in West Dundee.
Registration starts at 11 a.m., with the shotgun start following at 12:30 p.m.
If you can't put a four-person team together, the golf committee will find one for you.
The $110 entry fee includes a round of 18 holes, a golf cart, lunch and dinner. There is a cash prize for those coming in first to third place - tiebreakers will be determined by the golf committee and all rulings will be final.
Several raffles, including a 50/50 raffle, are also on schedule. Raffle prizes include Apple iPads, an HD TV, a grill, a bike, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox tickets, Chicago Bears Training Camp VIP pass, Bears ticket to a preseason game, 2014-2015 Chicago Blackhawks tickets and more.
The club will use the proceeds from the event to support Lions charities, which include aiding the blind, hard of hearing and needy children.
Those interested in golfing or sponsoring the event should visit www.hampshirelions.org for details.
• Lenore Adkins covers Community Unit District 300, Algonquin, Carpentersville, the Dundees, Grafton Township, Hampshire, and Sleepy Hollow. To reach her, send an email to ladkins@dailyherald.com or call (847) 608-2725.