LE ROY — A fundraiser here Saturday to benefit Brian True and his family brought in $31,000 — with more to come.
“We’ve got in donations today and other people have told us they want to help out,” Stacy True, Brian’s sister, told the Register Monday afternoon.
A silent auction raised better than $16,000 of which about $15,000 was donated.
“It’s amazing how generous people are,” said Stacy True, noting three individuals living in Le Roy while they work a short-term outage at the Wolf Creek nuclear plant handed over a substantial cash donation. “They don’t know Brian or his family, but wanted to help out.”
“I really don’t have the words to say how we feel,” Brian True said in a telephone conversation Monday afternoon.
“I’m very humbled by the support,” he said. “We have a lot of friends in Le Roy and the area, but I never dreamed of anything like this.
“There were young people just out of high school helping out (at the fundraiser) and older people who came that barely could get in the door.”
True is awaiting results of an appeal to his insurance company’s decision not to pay for a third back operation to correct deteriorating disks.
His ailment reached the point in early December that True had to quit his job at Mid-American Machine, a Le Roy manufacturer.
The assistance received will help the family with everyday expenses, including medicine to deal with his back pain.
Because of his back problems, True was able to spend only about three hours at the fundraiser. “I’m paying for it today,” he said with a chuckle Monday.
“I feel a little bit guilty for all that people have done for us,” True continued. “There are a lot of other people out there who also need help, but I know people wouldn’t have helped if they didn’t want to.
