Auction Final

As you found out last night it was my 63th birthday. I was ask why I would want to take on such a task and hold it on my day. Well the answer is what better gift could I have ask for than to help a loved one in need. so last night was the best birthday I have ever had. Thank you everyone for the greatest birthday of all.

We had a great and very successful evening last night. We want to thank all of you for coming to support us and Lori in this cause. A special thanks to all our donors and entertainers. We would ask that as you do business, you think of and support them. Also, a special thanks to the members of Aspen Heights, Crosswinds 1st, and Crosswinds 2nd Wards that purchased tickets and coming to buy things at the auction. Especially want to thank the Young Men and Young Women and Leaders from the Aspen Heights Ward for selling tickets, distributing flyers, helping with set up and clean up.

We had already exceeded our goal even before the auction started. The final total for the night was a huge amount of $9,410.00. This will be of great assistant to Lori and Jim as their continue to battle with their health issues.

The Central Bank account 64334543 for and in behalf of Lori Gabbitas will remain open through the end of November for any future cash donations.

Update

Fund Raiser for Lori (Johnston) Gabbitas is still in the works for October 9th from 6-10 PM at Canyon Ridge Stake Center, 1911 East 1850 South, Spanish Fork, UT.
Tickets $30.00 family $10.00 single There is a delicious meal planned and great entertainment as will.

Contributions:
1. Security Insurance Agency (Clark Swenson 801-798-3509) = $50.00 cash donation
2. State Farm Insurance (Lance Wilson 801-798-9288) = $50.00 cash donation
3. Circle V Meat = 25 lbs. hamburger
4. Randy Memmott = 10 lbs. hamburger
5. Janice Memmott = 10 lbs. hamburger
6. Chris Osborn = 10 lbs. hamburger
7. Hickory Kist = Sloppy Joe mix
8. J Mart = tickets
9. Lynn & Lynda Williams = $100.00 cash donation
10. Clarence & Eleanor Zornes= $100.00 cash donation
11. Penguin Copy = Print Flyer for half price $40.00 value
12. Judy Cundy = Flyer half price purchase $40.00
13. Judy Cundy, Marsha Larsen, Linda Henrie, & Kathy Lunceford = 300 can drinks, paper plates, forks, napkins, & chips
14. Anonymous donor = 300 hamburger buns
15. Larry & Kathryn Mattinson = $50.00 cash donation
16. Connie Warren = $50.00 cash donation
17. Gary and Judi Johnston = $75.00 cash donation
18. Roman & Elizabeth Takasaki = $100.00 cash donation
19. Jerry Stubbs Construction Inc. = $100.00 cash donation
20. Randall & Renae Harward = $10.00 cash donation
21. Bjorn & Kristin Trejo = $100.00 cash donation
22. Anonymous donor = $130.00 cash donation
23. Fast Gas (Alison W Peterson 801-423-1255) = Ice
24. Wells & Deneille Brockbank = $50.00 cash donation
25. Mark & Laurel Koyle = $50.00 cash donation
26. Barb Alleman= $25.00 cash donation
27. Thelma Johnston = $50.00 cash donation
28. Kent Erickson = $500.00 cash donation
29. Captain Jamie Thomas = $60.00 cash donation
30. S.A.G. Short-Stop (Sheldon Gordon) = $100.00 cash donation
31. Little Giant Ladders = = $800.00 cash donation

Entertainment:
1. Tuita Boyz (Cancelled their Dad was a fire fighter and they had an engagement with the fire fighters)
2. Jalon Watts (12 year old singer featured by David Foster and StarPointe Record April 13, 2010 at Warner Theatre in Washington D.C. as seen on YouTube)
3. Esprit De Corps Dance Studio
4. Cody Carlisle (Lori's brother in law)
5. Matthew Christiansen Band
6. Kimberly Memmott Pianist (Lori's cousin)

Auction Items: (Auctioneer: Ryan Anderson)
1. Rocky's Tire Pros = 2 each $100.00 gift certificate (Gary Johnston $100.00 each reserve bid)
2. Rocky's Tire Pros = 2 each 4 wheel alignment certificate ($87.06)
3. Rocky's Lube Pros = 2 each oil change certificate (Gary Johnston $30.00 each reserve bid)
4. Dickerson Automotive = 4 wheel alignment certificate ($87.06 value
5. Dickerson Automotive = Emission & Inspection certificate (Gary Johnston $39.00 each reserve bid)
6. Gold's Gym = 2 each 6 month passes $200.00 value each
7. Glade's Drive Inn = 4 each $25.00 Gift Certificate
8. IFA Country Store = 3 each bags fall 17-5-10 fertilizer value $25.00 (Gary Johnston $25.00 1 reserve bid)
9. Ogden Carpet = 2 each $100.00 Gift Certificate (Gary Johnston $100.00 each 2 reserve bid)
10. Dr. Kendall Barrowes = 2 each Teeth Whiting Certificate ($344.00 value each)
11. Expressway Lube = 2 each Full Service Gift Certificates (Gary Johnston $36.00 each reserve bid)
12. Aspen Dermatology = Chemical peel
13. Aspen Dermatology = Microderm abrasion treatment
14. Aspen Dermatology = 2 each facials treatments
15. Aspen Dermatology = 40% off a laser hair removal package
16. Aspen Dermatology = 50 % off Botox treatment
17. Winger's Diner = 45 each Appetizer Certificate
18. Little Caesars Pizza = 195 Crazy Bread Certificate
19. Little Caesars Pizza = 42 Pizza Certificate
20. Cal Ranch = $20.00 Gift Card
21. Jack E. Dawson Bitter Sweet Gallery = 16"x26" If My People picture $120.00 value
22. McNaughton Fine Art Company = One Nation Under God 20"x30" picture $380.00 value
23. Gloria Perkins = Queen size hand quilted quilt
24. Judy Cundy = Baby quilts
25. Judy Cundy = Baby quilts
26. Gary & Judi Johnston = Baby quilt
27. Gary & Judi Johnston = Juke box popcorn maker
28. Gary & Judi Johnston = John Darby new castle clock
29. Carol's Country Gifts = Gift basket
30. Fran Jackson = Baby pillow
31. Fran Jackson = Baby quilt
32. Fast Gas = 7 each $5.00 gift coupons
33. Alison W Peterson = Watch $37.00 value (Judi Johnston $25.00 each reserve bid)
34. Pirate Island = Pirate Island gift tray $50.00 value
35. Gracie Lou's = $50.00 gift card
36. Pat Mattinson = Apron material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
37. Pat Mattinson = Apron material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
38. Layna Harwood = Apron material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
39. Layna Harwood = Apron material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
40. Jen Bradford = Aprons material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
41. Jen Bradford = Aprons material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
42. Marsha Larsen = Queen size quilt $55.00 value
43. Ski 'N See = Under armor L 3 layer jacket $300.00 value
44. Ski 'N See = Black XL Marker jacket $100.00 value
45. Ski 'N See = Electric blue M hoodie $60.00
46. The Porch on Main = Pumpkin painting $75.00 value
47. R C Willey's = 3 each $50.00 gift cards
48. Gary & Johnston = Eric Dowle puzzle
49. Gary & Judi Johnston = Gift basket $75.00 value
50. S.A.G. Short-Stop (Sheldon Gordon) = 2 each $50.00 Texaco gift cards
51. Spanish Oak = 2 each 18 hole rounds of golf
52. Mykla Butler = Car seat blanket covers $35.00 value
53. Mykla Butler = Car seat blanket covers $35.00 value
54. Shannon White = Hand quilted quilt
55. Thelma Johnston = Box of red delicious apples $24.00 value
56. Thelma Johnston = Box of jonathan apples $12.00 value

Raffle Items: Tickets $5.00 each 32 chances to win!
1. McDonalds (Amy Peratta 801-865-4418 & Ann 801-566-5300 = $15.00 Gift Coupons
2. Brady Johnston = Diet Plan ($150.00 value)
3. Vaud Hanks & Sons = Lamp ($109.00 value)
4. Vaud Hanks & Sons = Set of 3 Plates ($9.99 value each)
5. Mel Hanks & Sons = Accessory Basket
6. Winger's Diner (Megan Parmenter 801-798-9585) = 1 each Appetizer Certificate
7. Thelma Johnston = Abe Lincoln Picture
8. Little Caesars Pizza (Colten Lazaro) = 1 Pizza Certificate
9. MVP Sports (Scott Ringger 801-798-3587) = Stadium seat
10. Fran Jackson = 1 receiving blankets 2 burp cloths
11. Fran Jackson = 1 receiving blanket & 1 burp clothes
12. Rae Ann Warner & Cindy Anderson = 2 hours house cleaning $75.00 value
13. Fast Gas (Alison W Peterson 801-423-1255) = 1 each $5.00 gift coupons
14. Apron material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
15. Apron material donated by Gracie Lou's $35.00 each value
16. Denise Schaefermeyer (www.vinyl-me-this.com 801-794-1620) = Christmas magnetic advent calendar $15.00 value
17. R C Willey's (Gordon Bethers 801-277-8800) 1 each $50.00 gift cards
18. Layna Harwood = Blue Baby afghans
19. Layna Harwood = Pink Baby afghans
20. Honey & Grain Bakery (Jared Westercamp 801-491-9495) = Bakery baskets
21. Honey & Grain Bakery (Jared Westercamp 801-491-9495) = Bakery baskets
22. Honey & Grain Bakery (Jared Westercamp 801-491-9495) = Bakery baskets
23. Honey & Grain Bakery (Jared Westercamp 801-491-9495) = Bakery baskets
24. Honey & Grain Bakery (Jared Westercamp 801-491-9495) = Bakery baskets
25.Gary & Judi Johnston = Christmas wreath $60.00 value
26.Gary & Judi Johnston = Christmas center piece $15.00 value
27.Gary & Judi Johnston = Christmas star hanging $10.00 value
28.Gary & Judi Johnston = Red table cloth $20.00 value
29.Mary Dame = Hand craving "Suds" $120.00 value
30.Laura Henry Portrait = 11"x14" Portrait
31. Eric Dowle = Painting Noah's Ark $120.00 value
32. Gary & Judi Johnston = ice cream maker $30.00 value

Please come, buy a ticket, bring your check book or cash and plan to buy something at the auction. You can also make cash donations at Central Bank account 64334543 for and in behalf of Lori Gabbitas.

We're going to have a fund raiser on October 9Th. Many out there have already came up with things they would like to donate. We have also lined up the amazingly talented Tuita Boyz. They have generously offered to perform for us. We have a few more talents in the works too. But the plan is to have a dinner, entertainment and an auction with things that people like you can donate. So you can contact me by e-mail at jamjohnston@msn.com, facebook me, call 801-798-8436, or go to any Central Bank to make a cash donation in account 64334543 for and in behalf of Lori Gabbitas.

Thanks JJ

Our Daughter, Mother, Sister, Niece, Friend, Lori Gabbitas has a story to tell. Will you Listen? And then follow your heart.



Lori has always had a giving heart one you could count on. But the time has come for Lori to count on someone else. That is where I hope I can count on the people of our community to help. But first you need to hear Lori's story.

In August of 1998 Lori's Husband Rodney was killed in a vehicle rollover, leaving Lori a widow at 26 years old with two small daughters to raise on her own. Knowing that she needed to have a job that could support her family, she went to school majoring in accounting. She accomplished this and was able to provide for her family. A few years later she met and fell in love with her husband now, Jim Gabbitas. Jim had some medical problems throughout his life as well, and we'll go into those later. But first Lori's story.

In May of 2006, Lori was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. For awhile she was unable to work until she could get her blood sugar to a healthy level with the insulin she now takes. This wasn't an easy task and she was unable to work for some time. This also made life very difficult on them financially. Then In August 2009, she had a mole on the back of her calf biopsied. On the 29th of August, she was told she had melanoma. She was sent to a specialist at IMED in Murray. On September 4th, she had surgery to remove the melanoma on her calf and also to take out sentinel lymph nodes in her groin area. They got wide enough margins on the calf that was all clear, but the lymph node came back with cancer cells. She then got a lot of fluids building up in her leg that she had to place a q-tip inside the incision to drain out the fluids. This then led to infection and a lot of sickness. So after she healed from that, she went back into surgery for a total lymph node dissection on the right groin on October 16, 2009. This time a drain was placed to help with the drainage, but in November it was accidentally pulled out. So it was back to placing the q-tip through the incision to drain it, leading to infection again. On November 18th, Lori had a small surgery in the Doctors office, that left an open wound in her leg that had to heal from the inside out. Then on November 30th, she started chemotherapy. She had it five days a week through the month of December. It went pretty well. The side effects were flu like symptoms. Fever, sweats, cold chills, nausea and body aches ans side effects were not so bad at first, but by the end of the month they progressed making it even a chore to take a shower. On January 2nd she was admitted into the hospital because she had fluid around her lungs. This was a rare side effect from the chemotherapy. She also ended up with lymph edema in her right leg. Lymph edema is when the lymph fluids do not drain correctly causing the leg to swell. Her leg was swollen from the thigh down into her foot. She couldn't even put on a shoe. She went to the lymph edema clinic and learned massages and exercises to help with the lymph drainage. She will now have to wear compression stockings in the day and wrap with compression bandages every night. She will have to continue with this for the rest of her life.
So as you can see, Lori's story is one of a true test in life. One of a very challenging hardship put on a family. But this has not been the only adversity they have had to face. Here is the rest of the story:

As we said earlier, Lori's husband Jim, came into their marriage with some health problem of his own. That since, have escalated throughout the years. Before Lori and Jim were married in 1994, Jim had a grand mal seizure that led to finding out that he had a benign brain tumor. They believed that was the cause of the seizures and he was operated on to have it removed. Jim continued to take several medications to prevent seizures. In July of 2002, we found out that Jim had diabetes. Type 1 – which is strange because he is an adult, but the Doctors figured a virus must have attacked his pancreas. On April 2nd 2007, Jim had a TIA Stroke. They ran all sorts of tests on him and found out he has Factor V Leiden, which is basically thick blood. They put him on Coumadin which he will have to take for the rest of his life. They believed this must have been the cause of the stroke. Then on July 25, 2009 he had a second TIA. At the end of October, Jim found a mole that looked suspicious. He went to the doctor and found out he too had melanoma. It was on his left temporal area (if you look close at his picture you can see the mole). Jim went in for surgery on November 6th. Luckily it had not spread and was just in that area. I know to read this you would think Jim and Lori just can't out do each other. But sometimes life works in crazy ways.

Jim started going to a new neurologist on May 10th of this year. The Doctor put him on a new seizure medication. Then on May 18th, he was taken from work by ambulance to UVRMC with more stroke like symptoms. The seizures passed and he went home the same day. This happened again at work on May 26th. This time they admitted him and ran all sorts of test, but could not find anything wrong. His work would not let him return until the doctors would give him a medical release. So again financially they were put to the test. The doctors said they wanted him to be event free for 45 to 90 days before they would release him. He then had another one of those events on May 28th, then again on June 4th and another on June 7th. On June 7th, they took him back to the ER because this event lasted for a couple of hours. Again they couldn't find anything wrong. This time they admitted him into ICU and wanted to have a 24 hour observation on him to see if he took any seizures on their watch. He had several. So they took him off the new seizure medication that he had started on May 10th. So far, things have went well without Jim having any seizures, but the Doctors are not sure if or when he will have the problem again. By this time all of their savings has been drained. But the bills are still coming. Everything they have worked so hard to have could be lost. And they still don't know what the future has in store.

So this is where you, my dear friends, come in. I need all of your help. Asking for help is not an easy thing for me to do, but since I'm not a millionaire, I have humbled myself to ask. I also need to say that when I mentioned what I had in mind to Lori, she said no, people will think I'm a failure. Lori you're no failure. You're trials have been many and you have endured. You need to realize that not only you will be blessed for this. It's also an opportunity for other people to be blessed for reaching out to help another.

Your help is needed

As you have read, our daughter and her family are going through very hard times. I'm planning in early October, to have a fund raiser for Lori and her family. I'm working on the details now. I will be opening a bank account in Lori's name this coming week. But in early October, I have a dinner and auction planned. There will also be some local talent coming to entertain. So if any of you can help in any way, such as money, through items donated to be auctioned off, or by purchasing a ticket to the dinner and entertainment, please let me know. My email is jamjohnston@msn.com. I will keep everyone informed on my facebook page and this blog.
Thanks for listening.

Love JJ