Town in Iowa Comes Together for University Senior

Press Citizion reported this story a month ago. It is wonderful to see how a town can come together to help those in need.

In February, University of Iowa senior and 2006 Mid-Prairie High graduate Addison Powell began to feel like he had a sinus infection.

The condition worsened and by Easter weekend, it was discovered he had a tumor on his brain that would grow from the size of a golf ball to a baseball by the time it was removed April 28. The 13-hour operation caused doctors to remove his left eye after the tumor was found to have moved into his eye muscles. He now is recovering, three weeks shy of receiving his degree in computer science from UI.
On Saturday, his family and hometown of Wellman will host a day-long benefit to help Powell, 22, and his family handle the bills from the medical treatments and travel to St. Louis and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The benefit will include a four-person best show golf tournament at 9 a.m. at the Wellman Golf Course followed by a free-will dinner and a silent auction from 4 to 7 p.m. and a live auction at the Parkside Activity Center in Wellman, all to help Powell.
"This is going to be his battle for the rest of his life," said Melissa Rediger, his aunt and one of the organizers of the benefit.
The live auction, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the Parkside Activity Center, will include four nights at a condo at Lazy Days at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for six people, a solid oak rocker, glider rocker, gift certificates, a meal for 12 people by Clara Bontrager, a power washer, a load of rock and trucking from Terra, several gift certificates and a theme basket. There also will be a football signed by Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, Rediger said.
She said she expects 800 to 1,000 people to attend the benefit.
"I think it's going to be pretty big," she said. "The Powell family is pretty well known down here."
Powell said he expects to undergo radiation treatment to get rid of whatever was left of the tumor during the coming months. He said he was hopeful to finish his degree and complete his internship at Rockwell Collins. In the meantime, he said he is grateful for the support from the community.
"I think it's really great," he said. "I can't believe people in this community came together like this."