Sigourney residents helped to raise funds and donate meals to a struggling high school student during a fundraiser event last month. Sigourney High School Junior Isabelle Ireland was diagnosed with Small Cell Carcinoma of the Ovary Hypercalcemic Type after an 11 centimeter tumor was found on her ovary. In order to help Ireland with medical costs and meals, Sigourney residents Alley Tish and Amanda Snakenburg created the Isabelle Ireland Fundraiser event, hosted at the Keokuk County Expo. The event featured a 5K run, bags tournament, a free-will donation meal, and an auction. While expectations for the event were low, Tish was blown away by the amount of support the event received, “I think she (Isabelle) was really overwhelmed, a good overwhelmed. She was definitely taken aback by how everybody showed up. I was really nervous with the weather and with COVID how people would react to wanting to come to the event, you just don’t know anymore. There was such a good turnout I could not have been happier.” 

In total, over $17,000 was raised for Isabelle’s cancer treatments and future surgeries. Tish and Snakenburg also organized what is called a Meal Train, a meal donation program giving families and community members a way to donate meals to Isabelle’s family on a predetermined date. The Meal Train Program will be open for donations until December. Contact Meal Train organizer Christie Isobaker at 641-569-0860 or cisobaker@gmail.com to find out more information about the Meal Train and how to donate.