Debbie Hays Fundraiser a Huge Success

DAYTON - "It was so humbling, really humbling. Wow!" That's how Debbie Hays described the turnout for the fundraiser dinner and auction held Sunday evening. Friends organized the event to raise money to help Hays and her family travel and stay in Rochester, Minn., where Hays will re­ceive treatment at the Mayo Clinic for a lesion in her brain.

"People were lined up out the door and down the sidewalk before 6 p.m.," said Melanie Mings, a friend and fellow Dayton Bulldogs Booster member who helped organize the event held at the Dayton Elementary School Multipurpose room. "We set up for 300 and I'm sure we fed that many and we didn't even run out of food."

People came from all over the Touchet Valley, Pome­roy, Walla Walla, Touchet and beyond, to show their support for Hays, who works at Dayton City Hall and volunteers for many com­munity groups.

Over $7,000 was raised in less than three hours through dinner tickets and donations at the door, along with a silent auction and baked goods sales. Tickets are still being sold for two raffles - a carved wooden bear created by local artist Terry Lee Woodworth and a quilt sewn and donated by several Dayton quilters.

Hays purchased plane tickets for her husband, mother and two children with some of the money, so she will be surrounded by family during her treatment. "We don't know what the doctor will do or how long we will be there," said Hays. "This money will help tre­mendously."

Hays felt overwhelmed by the generosity and caring of so many people. "I guess I never realized how many people my daily life has touched," she said. "This is a great community to live in and I can't thank all the local people and businesses that donated time, food, supplies and money enough!"