Small Town News

Friends indeed

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St. John students come to aid of classmate

With a classmate down, the St. John senior class came together to help pick her back up.

On February 22, Judy St. Ger-maine Finch was working at the St. John Grocery story when she became ill. She was initially taken to Rolla, then to Minot and eventually to St. Paul where she was diagnosed with two brain aneurysms.

Jesse Finch is Judy's daughter and is also a senior this year at St. John Public School. After spending time with her mother in. St. Paul. Jesse recently returned to school.

Seeing that a classmate needed help, members of this year's senior class, including Cole Allick and Andrea Langan, rallied around their classmate.

To help soften the financial burden, Allick and Langan helped organize a toy/merchandise bingo. With the help of their classmates. Allick and Langan received over $900, which was used to buy merchandise for the event. Some of the top prizes included a 32-inch television, an outdoor patio set and several outdoor/summer items.

The bingo fundraiser was held last Sunday at the St. John Catholic Church. The turnout, according to Allick, was '"outstanding."

All total, approximately $2,525 was raised.

The responsibility of securing a place to hold the event, providing, concessions, helping set up and clean the church, and giving up their Sunday, was an easy choice to make, said Allick and Langan.

"Jesse is our classmate and a really good friend," noted Allick. who along with Langan have been classmates with Finch since they attended Head Start nearly 14 years ago.

"Her family has been really good to us and we all know she'd do the same thing for any of us," Langan added.

Finch said it was hard to describe how thankful she and her family are.

"We don't even know how to thank everybody because everybody has just been so helpful,"' she said. "We, as a family, really appreciate everybody who has helped us1."

According to Jesse, Judy had surgery on her second aneurysm last Wednesday. If all goes well, she is set to come back to Minot towards the end off re she will continue her rehab.

In addition to the bingo, a benefit meal and dance will be held March 27 at the St. John Senior Hall. The benefit is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at 1:00 a.m.

"We don't even know how to thank everybody because everybody has just been so helpful. We, as a family, really appreciate everybody who has helped us."

Jesse Finch



Copyright 2010 Turtle Mountain Star, Rolla, North Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 Turtle Mountain Star Rolla, North Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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