American Idol contestant Brandon Elder performed at the @teamEMMA benefit Friday. The event continues Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Holly Pond High School, where Elder will perform again. (Heather Mann for The Tribune)
HOLLY POND – In October 2017, Haley Ragsdale received news that no parent ever wants to hear: her daughter has leukemia. Emma Grace, now 5 years old, and her family have had to face all the physical and financial struggles of cancer treatments and side effects, so close family friend Stephanie Morton helped organize a benefit festival for #teamEMMA at Holly Pond High School. The event went all day Friday and will be held Saturday, May 26 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The festival features around 40 vendors and live musical entertainment by American Idol contestant Brandon Elder, the Clay Jones Band and Jesse Priest. Guests can purchase clothing and jewelry, cosmetics or wooden crafts. Food can be purchased from Woodbury’s Food for the Soul. There is also a table with a silent auction, a bake sale and #teamEMMA clothes and crafts where all profits go directly to Emma Grace and her family.
This is not the first benefit #teamEMMA has held, nor will it be the last. The first fundraiser took place last October, shortly after Emma’s diagnosis, and another is planned for this October.
“Anything helps,” said Morton. “They (the family) are having to travel to Children’s (of Alabama) every week for chemo.”
The festival continues on Saturday in Holly Pond High’s Felton Easterwood Gym.
Copyright 2018 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
