Dexter, Missouri - It's never to early to start planning for BEARCAT HOMECOMING 2017! The Committee held their first meeting this week and are well on their way to making this the best ever celebration! The annual Bearcat Community Homecoming Tailgate will be held on September 22, 2017 beginning at 4:30 p.m. Homecoming Coronation will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the kick-off of the Dexter Bearcats football game vs the Caruthersville Tigers at 7:00 p.m.
The Tailgate will be at Charles Bland Stadium archway. Spaces are available for $75 each which is about equal to two parking spaces, enough room for a 10x10 tent and a little space to have a game, facepainting, or grill to cook on, etc.
All profits are given back to student organizations of Dexter Public Schools.
Contact the Dexter Chamber of Commerce at (573) 624-7458. Spaces must be paid for no later than September 15, 2017. To get the best spaces, reserve early and pay as soon as possible.
Dexter, Missouri - Thanks to golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and family as well as the amazing community who provide support and are generous with donations, the 18FORE Life grass roots charity organization was able to send out $87,000 in Love Offerings today.
That's 87 families fighting against cancer! 18FORE Life also reached an amazing goal! They have now surpassed their $2 millionth dollar totaling $2,026,000.00. What a truly dedicated charity!!
It all began in 1999 as a way for good friends to get together and do something good for others in the community. Today, it has given hope and a helping hand to those fighting cancer.
This extraordinary weekend is here and it all begins tonight with a banquet to dedicate the memory of Ben Kruse, who together with his brother Scott, and some friends, wanted to do something great to genuinely help people in need.
When Ben’s life was tragically cut short in August of 2004, his work was carried on through his brother and all who came together on that first weekend so many years ago.
The Ben Kruse 18FORE Life Foundation has now given over two million dollars in love offers thanks to the kind and generous donations of people in our community.
Dexter, Missouri - Each year the Larry B. Jones H.O.P.E. Campaign raises money for 18FORE Life. T-shirts are sold and memorial donations were also given when Kathy Jones passed away in August of 2016. In all more than $17,000 was raised by the charity and to date more than $85,000 has been raised since 2011.
Below is a letter from the family of Larry and Kathy Jones.........
Dear Supporters of the H.O.P.E. Campaign and 18 FORE Life:
Thank you so very much for your t-shirt order and/or donation! We are pleased to share with you that we sold over 200 t-shirts this year! This past year, including memorial donations, a HUGE fundraiser led by Lora’s sister-in-law, Fara, at St. Frances Cabrini School in Michigan, and this year’s t-shirt sales, we’ve been able to give a total of over $17,000 to 18 FORE Life. This is SEVENTEEN $1,000 donations that have blessed families going through some of the scariest and most stressful times in their lives.
In the past six years, since we lost Dad in 2011, the H.O.P.E. Campaign has raised over $85,500 for area cancer warriors and individuals faced with life-threatening illness. This is amazing! We could not have done this without your help. Our family knows personally the gifts received with each $1,000 “love offering” that is given, and we’re honored to work with you so that together we can bless others with gifts of hope, love and encouragement.
When we lost Mom this past August, we renamed our charity the “Larry & Kathy Jones Family H.O.P.E. Campaign.” This year, our new t-shirts reflect our new name. The design idea came easily this year. We used a photo that we took from our parents’ farm the afternoon that our mother passed away. The sky was absolutely beautiful and so peaceful that day. There were three distinct sunrays, which are significant for us; we continue this Campaign of Healing, Optimism, Prayer and Example to honor the memories of Dad, Mom and our sister, Sara. We hope you like the new t-shirts, and we thank you for your continued support of the H.O.P.E. Campaign as we continue to raise prayers, funds and hope for area cancer warriors and individuals faced with life-threatening illnesses.
We are truly honored to be part of such a wonderful community of people who offer so much support and encouragement, which allows us to help give back in this way. We could not do any of this without you. We thank God for each of you.
Thank you so much for helping us give back! Your support means so much!
For additional information, you may e-mail us at: larrybjoneshopecampaign@yahoo.com or visit: www.18forelife.com
Shown in the photo from left to right are Kyle Jones, Scott Kruse, Lora Jones Galati, and Joe Galati. Lora notes this is the first year her mom was unable to be here due to her passing, her husband stood in along with her brother. This is truly a family based charity changing lives of those who suffer from cancer.
Dexter, Missouri - The 17th Annual Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Banquet and Golf Event are slated for Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd. The annual banquet will feature at the Dexter Elks Lodge on Friday evening.
The 18 FORE Life organization raises money and distributes gifts in the amount of $1,000 to people battling cancer. This year the charity is expected to give out their 2 millionth dollar!
"This is our 17th year and if it goes as planned," commented Scott Kruse, "We should send out our $2 millionth dollar by the end of 2017."
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:00 p.m. Cost is $40 per ticket and there are still a few tickets left. There will be some amazing silent auction items as well as items that will be auctioned later in the evening.
Merrill Hoge, a former professional American football player will be a guest speaker. He played eight seasons at running back for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, retiring after the 1994 season.
On February 14, 2003, Hoge was diagnosed with stage II Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He had the first of six chemotherapy treatments on February 28th of that year.
"It is destroyable, it is beatable. You have everything in you to do it. The mind is a powerful thing. There is no doubt, come May, I'll be cancer free; five years after that, I'll be cured. Fifty years or whatever time I have left after that, it will be the platform I stand for. I'll be a better man. This has been a blessing," a quote from Hoge.
Soon after treatment began, Stanley Marks, Hoge's oncologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, gave him a 75-80% chance of prolonged remission.
Merril Hoge has since returned at work at ESPN on NFL Matchup.
The Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Charity Golf Event is our staple event and the reason this charity organization was founded. In the fall of 2000, four friends stood around a kitchen late one night-early one morning and discussed the thought of organizing a golf tournament. They acted on the idea and in 2001, the first 18 FORE Life golf tournament took place on June 23rd! The goal of the charity, at the time, was to raise money for The V-Foundation. The group of volunteers quickly stumbled onto the idea of sending love offerings to area families fighting cancer. The immediate response from letters and thank you cards was an impact and proved something special was possible.
In 2004, founder Ben Kruse was taken from us in a tragic accident. This young man’s spirit and soul inspired an entire community to rally together to not only raise money for a charity, but to also celebrate a life. 2005 was the first year the charity broke the $100,000.00 mark. The reputation and credibility was and continues to be on the rise. We are proud to say in 2012, we are fast approaching the major accomplishment of giving away our $1Millionth dollar!
The golf weekend is a party full of hugs, handshakes, laughter, smiles and memories shared. Our tag line is Celebrate | Give | Remember and we are proud to say all of this is accomplished in a big way every first weekend in June as 500 banquet attendees and more than 350 golfers gather for a guaranteed great time.
Dexter, Missouri - The City of Dexter Tourism Committee has created a SURVEY and would like the public's input.
The Tourism Committee would like your help in understanding what is needed in the Dexter community and would like to "BRAND" our city.
Branding is when you create a unique name and image for your town and will be used mainly through advertising campaigns to attract people to your area and retain loyal customers using a consistent theme. What is Dexter's brand? Complete the survey and let the Tourism Committee know your thoughts and how you see our great city of Dexter.
What Factors Make the city of Dexter great? Is it the people, the food, the outdoor environments and transit systems, incredible art, or architecture?
In a hope to build a better tomorrow, the Tourism Committee has been inspired to dig down deep to research the ideas of what are the attractive qualities and virtues of Dexter, Missouri. So please get involved and complete the survey. Your opinion counts!
The deadline to complete the survey is May 24, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. It is quick and easy!
Click HERE to take the City of Dexter Tourism Committee Survey.
