Ag Stock raises cancer-treatment money
Alex is 9 and Meagan is 21. Both of them have cancer. Treatments will cost $100,000. And here is the real twist: They are in the same family.
The Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity has responded to the Thompson family’s plight with their first Ag Stock Charity Concert on Saturday night in the Utah State University Fieldhouse.
Three bands – After Athens, Anonymous and Krisdagong – played in the concert. All performed for free, allowing the night’s entire proceeds to go to the Thompson
family.
“It takes character to say we’ll use our time, our talent to help out,” said Hilary Gobin, un undeclared sophomore.
The Thompson family’s tragic story started when Alex was only 6. Although an operation removed the original growth, she recently discovered three new growths. She is currently receiving treatment in Houston.
Just two days before leaving to serve an LDS mission, Meagan began getting severe headaches. She went in for an examination and learned that she also had cancer – an Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain tumor.
Trevor Aiken, a junior majoring in business and the Pi Kappa Philanthropy Chairman, headed the project.
“Everyone wanted it to be done, but someone needed to volunteer to be in charge,” he said.
Brandon Manikowski, a junior majoring in psychology also helped with the project.
“It was a pretty sad story and we really wanted to help the family out,” he said.
Pi Kappa has been involved before in community service – such as painting the Logan fire hydrants – but this is their first year to host a fund raiser.
“Fraternities help students get the full college experience,” Aiken said. “Charity is a part of that experience.”
In the future, Pi Kappa would like to make Ag Stock a week-long event. They have decided that it will always involve a family in need.
“This is our first time doing anything like this, but it is fun,” said Justin Lafeen, Pi kappa public relations chairman.
Lafeen is a junior majoring in public relations.
This week, Pi Kappa is contacting their alumni to try and raise a couple hundred more dollars, said Lafeen.
The crowd at the concert varied from students to friends and relatives of the Thompson family.
Bryce Thompson, a USU alumnus and an uncle to Alex and Meagan, helped with the raffle tickets. Each ticket cost $5. Prizes included golf bags and backpacks donated by Ogio.
Many fraternity and sorority members came to the concert.
“I had a friend die from cancer when I was 17, so I try to support things like this,” said Katherine Toone, a junior majoring in speech and language pathology.
Toone is a member of Alpha Chi Omega.
The family insurance company cannot fully support the girls’ needs. Donations to the family can still be made at Zion’s Bank or online at www.thompsonfamilydonation.org.
-ashschiller@cc.usu.edu