Although the porkburgers were good and the auction items interesting, the 700 people who were at M…

By Mary Zielinski (free-lance)

Although the porkburgers were good and the auction items interesting, the 700 people who were at Mid-Prairie High School Saturday came only for one reason: Morgan Ebel.

The seven-year-old daughter of Deanna Griffith of Kalona and Wayne Ebel of Williamsburg was diagnosed in February with Crescentic Glomerulonephristis, a rare kidney disease that requires nine-hour daily in-home peritoneal dialysis. She is a candidate for a kidney transplant.

The benefit raised $25,000 to help with the child’s medical expenses. Included in the funds are donations given prior Saturday’s dinner and auction.

Officially, tickets were $5 for adults and $3 for children, but many presented a $20 for a ticket and wanted no change. One donor gave an envelope with ten $100 bills.

People were equally generous with items for the auction, providing everything from two halves of hogs (packaged and ready for the freezer) to services to new furniture. The audience responded by bidding for the items as if they were at Sotheby’s and everything was at least a century old.

Because so much was donated through individuals, business and churches, including food and services, expenses for the event won’t total $200, organizers noted.

“That means just about everything will go for Morgan,” said Deb Yoder, one of the committee members.

The child, also the granddaughter of Jack and Joyce Dillon of Wellman and LaVerne and Rosemary Ebel of Williamsburg, starts 2nd grade at Kalona Elementary School this month.

Her at-home dialysis will continue, and she previously has undergone weekly treatment as both an inpatient and outpatient at University of Iowa Hospitals. Even with a transplant, there will be continuing medical concerns and monitoring.

But if Saturday’s reponse is an indication, the community will be there, too.