Lend a helping hand

Viking fans and visiting spectators honored the Weavers – an Upper Peninsula family that has ties to Grayling – during basketball games held at Grayling High School on January 31 and February 3, and they raised hundreds of dollars to assist the Weaver children following the death of both parents in a recent vehicle crash.

Prior to the Grayling vs. Houghton Lake boys basketball games on January 31 and the Grayling vs. Traverse City St. Francis girls basketball games on February 3, Grayling High School asked fans to honor the Weavers and the Escanaba community by wearing orange and black (school colors of the Escanaba Eskymos).

On Friday, January 27, “there was a tragic accident involving two parents – Tara and Jerry Weaver – from Escanaba who were on their way to watch their son play basketball in Sault Ste. Marie. Sadly, they both died as a result of their injuries. The Escanaba/Sault Ste. Marie basketball game was cancelled at halftime due to the accident. Jerry Weaver graduated from Grayling High School in 1994 and still has family here,” according to an announcement from Grayling High School. “Grayling High School would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the Weaver family, the Escanaba boys basketball program, and the entire Escanaba and Grayling communities. To show our support, Tuesday’s boys basketball game will be an orange-out. Wear your orange. Donations for the family will be collected at the ticket table.”

Many Houghton Lake fans (and some players and coaches) joined the effort by wearing orange during the January 31 JV/varsity boys basketball games at Grayling High School. In addition to a donation jar at the gate, a halftime shoot-out event that normally raises money for the Grayling Youth Booster Club also helped with the fundraising effort. Many fans also wore orange during the girls basketball matches at GHS on February 3.

As of Monday, February 13, a GoFundMe page to help the Weaver family had raised $227,953.

“This fundraiser is to help support this family while they mourn the loss of their beloved parents. Your donations will help with costs of the funeral and to help ensure the kids have the comfort to stay in their own home, along with help for food, gas, college, etc. This family is going to have a long road ahead of them and this GoFundMe is to help them ease the worries and focus on each other,” according to the GoFundMe page. “Tara and Jerry Weaver were as true and honest as they come. They would lend a helping hand to anyone at any time. We ask you in return, to do as they would, and graciously make a donation to help this family. Anything helps.”

The Weaver Family Fundraiser GoFundMe page is available online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/z56hhh-weaver-family-fundraiser