Cedar City community raises $40K for resident with cancer

Cedar City community raises $40K for resident with cancer

(John Petersen)


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CEDAR CITY — The “tight-knit” community of Cedar City rallied together Saturday to help raise funds for a beloved resident who was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.

Cedar City resident Lois Hunter said she took her daughter, Karlee Hunter, to the emergency room on Jan. 5 with what she thought was “a really bad flu.” Karlee Hunter was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma, a fast-growing cancer, and she started chemotherapy at the Huntsman Cancer Institute only five days later.

“She did have her appendix out in September and (the doctors) didn’t see anything in there at that time,” Lois Hunter said. “It was fast … Around Thanksgiving, she felt like she couldn’t eat as much, couldn’t hold as much food at a time. And it seemed like her stomach had been getting a little larger. And that’s where (the cancer) is, is in the omentum of her stomach.”

Karlee Hunter had to travel to the Huntsman Cancer Institute to receive her chemotherapy treatments. During the treatments, her kidneys began to shut down and she had to undergo dialysis as well, Lois Hunter said. The Hunters stayed in the hospital in Salt Lake City for three weeks during the first round of chemo.

Karlee’s father, Kevin Hunter, died almost four years prior and was well-known in Cedar City, Lois Hunter said. When long-time friend, Ashlee Staheli, heard of Karlee’s diagnosis, she met with other members of the community Jan. 14 and they began planning an event to raise funds to help cover medical costs.

Community members rallied together to create a dinner, live auction, silent auction and concert to raise the money for Karlee Hunter. Staheli said all the food for the dinner was donated by local restaurants and grocery stores and businesses and local craftsmen donated goods and services for the auctions. Utah country singer Chris Petersen performed a benefit concert, donating the proceeds to Karlee Hunter.

“What a tribute to the Hunter family because of all the people that came to me and said, ‘I want to help. I want to do something. ‘Kevin and I grew up together.’ Or ‘Karlee used to do homework in my basement all the time.’ Or ‘Me and Lois worked together,’ ” Staheli said. “I couldn’t believe it. I was really impressed with this family because there were a ton of people who wanted to do anything. Just wanted to be a part of it.”

The benefit dinner for Karlee Hunter at the Elk's Lodge. Photo Credit: John Petersen
The benefit dinner for Karlee Hunter at the Elk's Lodge. Photo Credit: John Petersen

The event took place at the Elk’s Lodge on Saturday and Staheli said the dinner sold out and more than 300 people attended. The event raised $40,400 to help the Hunters with medical costs.

“I have so much pride in the town of Cedar City and the people in it because I can’t believe how they rally, ” Staheli said. “I had people calling me saying, ‘Hey, I have this. I want to donate it ...’ This is a tight-knit community for sure that jumps in at stuff like this.”

Lois Hunter said Karlee has made some improvements since starting chemotherapy and she is so grateful for the support the community has shown their family.

“I would just like to send out a heartfelt thank you from the bottom of our heart to all the people that did help us out and were so generous and for all the prayers they said for her,” Lois Hunter said. “I just want to thank everyone so, so much. They are just so great down here.”

An online account* was also set up to help the family with medical costs.


*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and proceed at your own risk.

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