A fundraiser is ongoing for Brooklyn Unger’s family after she passed away at just four years old on June 17th. Brooklyn had been dealing with a rare, non-cancerous tumour in her jaw.
Allie Okino organized this fundraiser to try and help the Unger family in any way she could.
“It’s an enormous loss to the family. My heart goes out to them. I’ve started raising money for them. A lot of businesses have donated wonderful items for a silent auction. I’ve arranged a fundraiser dinner in her honour in Grande Prairie to help the family with the costs of being in Edmonton, plus funeral expenses.”
The fundraiser dinner is set for July 9th at Frontier Eatery & Saloon, with a 50/50 draw at 5 p.m., a silent auction, and dinner starting at 6 p.m.
“They need as much help as they can get right now. I have about 20 dinner spots left to sell, but I’m also taking donations on their behalf, and donations for the silent auction. Any stress we can take off the family will allow them to have time to grieve their loss.”
Okino is encouraged by the response she’s seen from members of the Grande Prairie community since she began the fundraiser.
“Grande Prairie has been absolutely amazing. I mentioned the donations from businesses for the silent auction, those have been really helpful. Frontier Eatery & Saloon jumped behind this right as soon as I asked them about the possibility. It’s been a huge circle of love for this family from around Grande Prairie,” she says.
Okino has no relation to the Unger family and is doing this for them out of the kindness of her own heart.
“I’ve only met Nancy Edey, her aunt. I knew that the family was going to have enormous expenses. I started the fundraiser in the hopes that everything was going to be okay,” says Okino. “I still have a few dinner tickets left, or if you want you can send a cash donation to the family. I can be reached on Facebook, or via email.”
“All of your thoughts and prayers are being relayed to the family. I really want to thank everyone that has donated. I just started selling tickets for the dinner on Thursday and I’m almost sold out. I can’t thank everybody enough for that,” she adds.
A memorial service and celebration of life for Brooklyn Unger is set for June 25th for friends and family at 2 p.m. Condolences can be left here, or you can plant a tree in her honour.