Eau Claire (WQOW) - Hundreds
of dollars are raised, in memory of a local hockey player.
A youth hockey memorial fund has
been started by Kersten Greene's family. Last April, the 19-year-old, a
graduate of Eau Claire North, was found unresponsive in her dorm room at UW-River Falls.
Her death was ruled an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
Kersten played hockey for the ECA stars throughout high school. A yard sale was
held on Friday and Saturday, to help raise money. The family says they raised
over seven hundred dollars. The money will be used to purchase hockey equipment
for kids who are unable to afford it on their own. Sporting equipment that was
also donated during the fundraiser will be donated to Hobbs. The family says they will be holding
another yard sale next year to raise more money.
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Eau Claire (WQOW) - A local family holds a yard sale for a scholarship they've begun in their daughter's name. Last April , 19-year-old Kersten Greene, a graduate of Eau Claire North, was found unresponsive in her dorm room at UW-River Falls. Her death was ruled an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
Tori Patrow, the mother of Kersten Greene, says, "Hockey was a sport she was very, very passionate about. She just loved hockey."
All through high school, Kersten Greene played hockey for the Eau Claire Area Stars. After her death, Kersten's family decided to start a youth hockey memorial fund in her name.
Patrow says, "She was all about helping kids skate, she would donate her old skates to somebody younger than her rather than trade them or sell them."
The fund will be used to purchase hockey equipment for kids who are unable to afford it on their own.
Kersten's mom says she is thankful to have the opportunity to help others play the game her daughter loved so much.
"By us watching all these other kids play hockey, it kind of keeps her memory going," says Patrow.
To raise money to get the memorial fund off the ground the family is holding a yard sale.
On Friday, they received an unexpected surprise. Eau Claire resident, Randi Stanley, donated items to be sold at the sale. She did this because she also knows the pain of losing a child too young.
"We just recently, sadly, went through the whole experience ourselves, two years ago with the loss of our child who passed away at three due to epilepsy. And we too had a thrift sale and all the money raised from those toys went to a scholarship for our son. And so I just wanted to pay it forward one other time," says Eau Claire resident, Randi Stanley.
"It makes me sad to think that somebody else lost a child, it's not the natural order of things. But to hear that her heart is good enough that she is donating money, or her stuff to raise money for somebody she doesn't even know is pretty amazing," says Patrow.
All of the proceeds from the yard sale will go to the "Kersten Greene Youth Hockey Memorial Fund". The sale is being held at 515 Fountain Street in Eau Claire. The sale will run from 8am to 5pm on Saturday.
