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‘Glamper’ raffle raises money for teen

Last Thursday, the Yeater family presented the Clark family with a check for $13,169.

The money represents the raffle ticket sales — 556 of them — for a “glamper” that 15-year-old Ellie Yeater and her family of Wood County created to raise money for Eli Clark and his family. Clark, 13, also of Wood County, has been battling brain cancer.

The winning $20 raffle ticket went to Steve and Lora Eddy of Williamstown at a fundraiser for the Clark family on Oct. 14 at Parkersburg High School. Caleb Clark, Eli’s brother, drew the winning ticket out of a spinning drum provided by Barlow Volunteer Fire Department, said Ellie’s mother, Lori Yeater.

The glamper is a remodeled camper. This is the second glamper that Ellie and her family have renovated. The first sits on the family’s property and Ellie enjoys spending time in the beautiful glamper.

The Yeaters’ glampers have drawn interest from around the world.

Lori was hoping to sell 500 tickets for the second glamper but was surprised and thrilled with the final number. Glamper tickets were sold online, at local businesses and at PHS the day of the benefit.

Lori said individuals and businesses contributed money above the ticket sales.

Roy Clark Jr., Eli’s father, said it has been “mind-boggling” how people have rallied around Eli and supported him since the medical diagnosis.

Roy said he doesn’t know how his family would have gotten through this ordeal without the wonderful support and prayers from family, friends and the community.

Eli tires quickly and has not been able to return to Hamilton Middle School. He has a long road ahead as a cancer patient, Roy said of his son.

But Eli is making progress that has surprised his doctors, Roy said.

Eli is getting stronger, walking with assistance, moving, talking, singing and chewing food, Roy said.

“God is good. God is working a miracle,” Roy said. “Each day is a blessing.”

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Tori Boggs of Vienna will be performing in the show Cirque Dreams Holidaze, directed by Broadway director Neil Goldberg, at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville from Nov. 18-Dec. 27 and at Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center Dec. 29, 30. Boggs, a world jump rope champion and 2017 graduate of Ohio State University, will be performing a jump rope act and participating in the rest of the show as well. Cirque Dreams Holidaze combines a Broadway musical with a family show. Tori’s mother, Rochelle Boggs, is coach of Jump Company USA, a world-renowned jump rope team based at Parkersburg’s Jefferson Elementary Center. Rochelle Boggs was recently named secretary general of the World Jump Rope Federation.

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This year’s Nature Wonder Weekend at North Bend State Park was special for Edelene Wood of Parkersburg. It marked the 50th year that Wood has led this wild foods celebration in Ritchie County. “It was great to see the 50th anniversary and be personally involved in it,” said the 95-year-old Wood, who is president of the National Wild Foods Association. For a few years at the beginning of the Nature Wonder Weekend, Wood worked with renowned natural foods advocate Euell Gibbons on the event. Wood said she is pleased that people from throughout the country have developed an interest in healthy herbs and edible wild foods. One of the most exciting developments, Wood said, is that a “little idea” Gibbons had about wild plants being important for survival has evolved into a belief that wild foods can be gourmet. Wood has reached out to wild foods enthusiasts in all 50 states and overseas about the Nature Wonder Weekend, with many states being represented at the event. The September gathering is sponsored by the National Wild Foods Association, North Bend State Park and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, said Wood, a 1940 graduate of Parkersburg High School.

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John Coe spread a tablecloth across a few tables in the middle of the food court at Grand Central Mall around noon on Monday. Coe, the owner of Great Steak in the mall, then placed a large bowl of his homemade salad, potatoes, pork loin, french fries and ice cream on the table for others to enjoy. Parkersburg native Dick McCoy invited Ron Frame, Joe Handlan, Tom Azinger, Roger Hoover, Coe, me and others to the luncheon before McCoy, a 1960 graduate of Parkersburg High School, headed back to Florida for the winter. McCoy, who lives in Summers County, W.Va., during the summer, enjoys meeting with friends in Wood County while in the Mountain State. Hoover, owner of Sweetsong Productions in Wood County, made a DVD for McCoy of a dinner attended by PHS Class of 1960 football players and others at the Blennerhassett Hotel this summer and gave a copy of the DVD to those at the luncheon.

Contact Paul LaPann at plapann@newsandsentinel.com

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