It took members of the Brager family less than a second to start rattling off descriptions of what happened at a fundraiser Saturday for one of their own.
Just a few: “Huge,” “Awesome,” “Overwhelming.”
About 275 people filled the room at South Whidbey Assembly of God. All of them were there to support Ben Brager, 24, as he seeks help to pay for a life-threatening kidney transplant and the related tests and procedures. And boy, did they.
In all, $45,000 was raised through the dinner and auction. Several items soared past their retail value. A $225 necklace donated by Linds Jewlery was bought for $1,000; a cord of firewood and a fire pit worth $250 went for another $1,000.
“The amount that was raised was almost the amount that was the GoFundMe goal, raised in one night,” said Pam Brager, Ben’s mother, who added that they never set a fundraising goal. When she heard from the bookkeeper, and others who were tallying the donations as the night went on the final total, she could hardly believe it.
“I was the last one through the line and the bookkeeper told me,” she added. “I wouldn’t say the number.”
An online fundraising effort that launched in mid-April had a goal of $50,000. To date, 195 people donated for a total of $27,140. Medical bills add up in a hurry as Ben Brager checks in with a host of medical professionals for his granulomatosis with polyganiitis.
“We anticipate that this is going to cover the whole transplant expense,” Pam Brager said. “We still don’t know, but we think this is going to take care of it.”
Dozens of items were donated by businesses up and down Whidbey and elsewhere, largely procured by the Brager matriarch Becky Brager and Ben’s aunt, Jen Weimer.
The Brager family was awed by the generosity of the donors.
“There was love bouncing off the walls,” Jen Weimer said.
“People bid on things in that live auction and then donated them back to the family,” she added. “That’s what I mean when I said love was bouncing off the walls.”
Weimer wasn’t alone. Emcee Jim Freeman, a veteran of fundraising events, said being there was an incredible experience.
“It’s the most amazing community activity I’ve ever been part of,” he said. “I’ve never seen such an outpouring of love, support, and genuine caring with a group of people, probably since I was at St. Peter’s basilica in Rome on the World Day of Prayer.”
With nearly twice as many people present at the event than were in Brager’s high school graduating class, he said he knew many, but a lot were complete strangers who all the same attended to support his road to recovery.
It was a bit much for Ben Brager, who admittedly isn’t into all the fuss being paid over him. He was, however, greatly thankful.
“I really don’t like the attention, but it’s a good cause,” he said.
The day after the massive fundraiser, Brager said he spent some time carving a 2.5-foot-tall black bear out of a block of wood. It was his first time attempting wood-carved art, and he said the result wasn’t terrible.
“I’ve never done it before in my life,” he said.
Ahead for the Brager family are more tests, hopefully one that shows his dad, Todd Brager, is a kidney donor match.
