Spaghetti dinner helps medical fund

A Spaghetti Feed at Old Mission Santa Inés is planned on March 1, to benefit the Kevin Krzyston Medical Fund. Kevin, a 14-year-old Dunn student, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last August.

The evening includes dinner, live music, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction, with such items as hotel, golf and spa packages, jewelry, wine, gift certificates from local restaurants and merchants, art and more. Tickets are available at the Mission Gift Shop, Dunn School, and Global Gardens in Los Olivos. Cost for the dinner is $20 per person, and food will be available from 5:30 to 9 p.m. For information on the event or to donate an item for the silent auction, contact Beth DuVall at 688-1135 or Kim Long at 688-0360.

Kevin has received care from the staff at Santa Barbara’s Cottage Hospital, as well as support from Dunn, Solvang, and Santa Ynez School families, YFL Football, Rotary, Old Mission Santa Inés, and the community as a whole. Recently he was chosen as an Honored Teammate for Team-in-Training, as well as a Hero for Santa Ynez School’s Pennies for Patients coin drive, both sponsored by the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

As expected, his family says Kevin has gone through trials and tribulations, times of low energy and no appetite, but he always seems to bounce back and goes to school as often as possible. When he’s too tired to attend school, he does his classwork remotely and stays in contact with friends who come to visit him often. Those wanting to wish him well can visit his Web site at www.carepages.com.

Kevin’s future treatment includes chemotherapy, PEG shots, spinal taps, blood and platelet transfusions, radiation, blood cultures, CT scans, and lab work. Through it all, Kevin and his parents, Jill and Bill, and his 12-year-old brother, Michael, have kept their spirits high and participated in as many activities as possible.

Both the Krzyston boys have volunteered at the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, and sometimes Kevin is an assistant coach for his brother’s junior high basketball team. An account has been set up at the Montecito Bank and Trust Valley Oaks Branch in Solvang for the Kevin Krzyston Medical Fund. Although not tax-deductible, all donations toward Kevin’s medical expenses are appreciated.

 

Fight cancer with Cut-A-Thon

A fundraising Cut-A-Thon will be held March 16 for Laurie Kraus, who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. The event, sponsored by De Cut Hair Design, 1988 Old Mission Dr., Solvang, will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kraus, an employee at the salon for more than 20 years, continues to work in spite of her illness.

Owners Hans and Rosemary Wolf, as well as current and past De Cut hair stylists and manicurists and a Mary Kay consultant, will donate their time to host the project to help raise funds for her many expenses. Tri-tip sandwiches, a bake sale, beauty makeovers and a silent auction will be offered throughout the day. No appointments are necessary. More information is available at 448-4963.

 

Books needed for students

A book drive for residents of Nepal is underway in Solvang. The project, sponsored by Katherine Boone, Kathy Mullins, owner of the Book Loft in Solvang, and members of the Valley Readers Book Club, is seeking new children’s books to ship to the international organization, Room to Read, started by John Wood, an executive at Microsoft.

The organization already has created more than 3,000 scholarships and donated 136 computers to educational centers in Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, South Africa, Zambia and India. The book project has been established to fill the 3,800 libraries and 287 schools constructed by the group.

Mullins has set up a collection box at the bookstore and Boone is paying to ship the books. She already has sent 58 books and hopes to ship another box by the end of the month. More information is available at kboone9@gmail.com.

 

Tree to be replaced

The Preserve Our Los Olivos Park Foundation has received a donation from Michael Byrne, who volunteered his time and equipment to cut down a dangerous tree at Lavinia Campbell Park. The tree was leaning over the bus bench, the sidewalk and the street, as well as the area where children have sold lemonade from stands.

Michelle Griffoul, POLO president, said in a press release Feb. 25, that the organization is “sad to lose a tree but we will plant another in its place.” She added, “Safety is always our first concern in our park. The combination of a root system pulled loose by the wind and excessive lean angle of the tree left us with no practical alternative. We had a tree specialist look at it and confirm that safe removal was necessary.”