Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
July 9, 2015
By Pat Edwards
Before I get into the main part of this week’s column I wanted to make you are aware of a project headed by the Crow-Applegate-Lorane Booster Club. The group is undertaking the job of refurbishing the grandstand at the high school football field/track. This is a huge job and they are needing as many volunteers as possible to accomplish this task. A work party will be getting together on the evening of Friday, July 17 from around 5:00 p.m. until dark, and Saturday, July 18, beginning at 7:30 a.m., and as much help as possible is needed until it’s finished. There’s even a perk!… a BBQ on Saturday at the school for all those who volunteer.
One of Lorane’s own, Michael Matchulat, has recently been diagnos
ed with stage IV colorectal cancer. Sadly, this young man, who was born 31 years ago and grew up in Lorane, is facing a long, hard, expensive journey through medical treatments. Even though he is a deputy with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, his expenses will be considerable.
Debbie Davis, another of our special and much-loved community members who now lives in Cottage Grove, tells about her own experience… “As someone who has had Stage 4 Melanoma diagnosed for almost 3 years now, I am wise to the expenses Michael will be facing… some treatments range from $54,000 to $250,000 per infusion. I have been taking $900 worth of pills a day for the last year, and that doesn’t include the 10 head scans and 5 body scans I had last year alone. My husband works so hard, and has the best insurance I have seen, and I worked for PeaceHealth for five years, too, but our coverage is still not enough. The benefits that are given for people like Michael and I (yes, Lorane had one for me, too) are life-saving, especially at reducing the stress you experience over what it’s doing to your family. What I have learned is that if we all give – always… somehow – the world becomes a better place.”
The communities of Lorane and Crow are organizing a series of fundraisers to not only help with Michael’s expenses, but to show our support to the Matchulat family. If you are interested in contributing, here are some ways to do so…
On July 27, Papa’s Pizza on West 11th in Eugene has issued a flyer that will earn 50% of your purchase that day which will go to the Michael Matchulat fund.
On August 1, the Lorane Grange is hosting a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Michael from 7:00 -11:00 a.m. Community members are being asked to volunteer to help out through the morning. I’ve offered my already-wrinkled dishpan hands to the cause, and I hope others will be signing on to set-up, cook, serve, clean-up, and, yes, even help with the washing and drying duties.
Also on August 1, I believe, there is a garage sale being planned, but I don’t have details. Donations of items for the garage sale can be dropped off at his mother, Trish Matchalat’s house on Territorial Road south of Lorane or they can be dropped off at his sister, Melinda McGladrey’s home in west Eugene. Just leave a message on the Lorane Facebook page and they will contact you with instructions.
In addition, there has been an account set up on YouCaring for Michael at http://www.youcaring.com/michael-matchulat-388090#
Each person must decide for themselves how much support, if any, they want to lend to the Matchulat family. I know the people of Lorane have a strong community spirit, so let’s all join together and see what we can accomplish.
All Things Lorane 