By Nathan Prewett
For the Tribune
SPRINGVILLE – “I’m a cancer survivor myself,” said Amanda Baker Flynn of Springville. “This is my giving back to someone in need because in ’93 when I went through it you didn’t have social media, you didn’t have all the outlets to do something like this.”
“I think this will be a burden lifted off her,” she said. “It’ll be one less worry she has to have. It’s just been a phenomenal outpour of support for her. If this money would help her take her kids somewhere and have a good time and put a smile on their face and hers it’s well worth it.”
Flynn and Patterson were once neighbors in Springville and have known each other for 15 years. She said that the community has been highly responsive in helping out, particularly those in the neighborhood.
“I couldn’t have done this without the people in this neighborhood,” Flynn said. “It’s just been a tremendous outpouring of support. It’s turned out better than I could ever have imagined.”
The amount of money that the event raised for Patterson exceeded Flynn’s expectations, who initially thought that they would raise around $1,000 to $2,000. $4,604 was raised by the end of the event.
Flynn estimated were in the hundreds, many of them from the Birmingham Metro area. Flynn credited promotion through Facebook as being part of the success of the fundraiser.
“It’s been a culmination of everybody pitching in and helping,” she said. “It’s just been wonderful. It surpassed what I thought it was going to do.”
There was a raffle for a trip to the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade in Gatlinburg, TN. In addition to this there was a raffle for a Yeti Cooler and a one year membership to Hometown Fitness in Odenville. Vendors that applied to be present at the fundraiser were required to donate items to raffle off.
Food, drink and condiments were donated by Frito Lay, Argo Hardware, Buffalo Rock, Burton’s Food Store. A Wal-Mart in Springville provided $100 for the organizers to spend on the event.
“Everything has been donated,” Flynn said. “We have literally not had to buy anything. I just told them what it was about and they just graciously handed me stuff.”
The event hosted a hotdog sale and a bake sell, as well as vendors including Jenny’s Jewels, Lipsense, 31, LuLaRoe and SadieBeth Boutique. Flynn said that if she is able to, she may hold a similar event, if not for Patterson, then for others in need.
“It’s just a passion of mine to give back because I was, by the grace of God, he healed me and not everybody has that grace,” she said. “And I feel like this has taken a small portion of my time away to do something good for somebody else. It’s incomprehensible what this can do for somebody.”