DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Thursday morning members of the Door County community lined up and down Highway 57, in support of the Volkmann family.
- The Annual Jacksonport Thanksgiving Day Parade floats throughout HWY-57
- Ella Volkmann, describes how much it means to her to see the community rally together for her family
- Paul Kordon the president of the parade committee talks about the history of the parade and fundraiser
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"We've always as a family supported others and I felt the impact towards giving to people, but now feeling how the community is giving to us is just amazing. I've never felt this kinda way before and I couldn't be more thankful to live where we are."
Ella Volkmann's father, Kirk, is battling stage four kidney cancer. It's not curable, but it is treatable. This year, Kirk was the recipient of the bucket donation collection from the Jacksonport Annual Thanksgiving Parade.
"I think because of once again because of the local person we're giving money to, Kirk, yeah I think we'll have a very good turn out" Kordon said.
Paul Kordon, the president of the parade committee, says the first parade nearly 30 years ago was just for fun. A couple years later they added the bucket collection fundraiser for those going through hardships in the community.
"Later we decided to do it as a fundraiser, [it] kind of grew a little bit every year, so we've been doing it as a fundraiser for probably all of 23 of those years" Kordon said.
Ella says says after supporting previous families in the parade seeing the community show up for her family despite the cold was something she will never forget.
"We've come to the parades before, we've donated to whatever families and it's just great that people are coming out here. Especially in this cold to give money to my family. Like I said. I couldn't be more thankful for them" Volkmann said.
The Parade Committee says, despite the snow flurries the parade had a really good turn out and all of the donations the Volkmann's received should be counted by Friday.
