In the Friday, March 1, edition of the Butler Eagle, we learned the money raised for an injured teen was given to his family, showing how the community continues to rally around them.

Students at Sugarcreek Elementary School held a fundraiser for Mason Martin in early February. Mason, who was the quarterback for the Karns City Gremlins, collapsed during a football game in September.

He has been in the hospital ever since, and has undergone several surgeries. His father, Denny Martin, posted an update for Mason’s 18th birthday in early February saying Mason has been doing rehabilitation exercises.

Students at Sugarcreek Elementary wanted to celebrate Mason’s birthday, and organized a shoot-a-thon. Kindergartners through sixth graders kicked soccer goals, and parents could donate a flat fee or a certain amount per goal a student made.

The students raised about $7,000 with their efforts. Subsequent donations and a matching gift from an anonymous donor brought the total to $15,564.

Sugarcreek Elementary students presented the check Thursday to McKenna and Sydney Martin, Mason’s sisters. The check was a physical representation of the care and concern community members have for Mason and his family.

The Martins have dealt with tremendous difficulty over the last several months. In addition to Mason’s injury and the setbacks he’s faced, his mother, Stacy Martin, died in the fall after a long battle with cancer.

Few of us can truly understand what the family has faced, but all of us can see the hardship and pain. Likewise, there is not much any one person can do to alleviate that hardship and pain.

Fundraisers and other community events bring in money and help raise awareness, but they do more than that. They are a signal to those in the community who are dealing with difficult times that while others might not fully understand what they are going through, they aren’t alone.

It’s hard to put a price on that.

— JK