Generous Q-C gives to Hearn benefit

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By Tom Saul | Sunday, October 29, 2006 12:37 AM CDT | () comments

Photos by Nick Loomis/QUAD-CITY TIMES Travis Hearn’s grandmother, Gwen Stovall, right, hugs Stephanie Schild of Rock Island after Schild donated a $92 raffle prize to the injured Rock Island football player’s medical fund. The fundraiser, emceed by DJ Greg Dwyer, was held Saturday morning outside the Royal Neighbors of America building in downtown Rock Island.

Royal Neighbors member and volunteer Kathleen Wheeler, right, buys a raffle ticket from fellow volunteer DeAnn McIntyre during a benefit for injured Rock Island football player Travis Hearn.

The tears flowed as Gwen Stovall of Moline embraced Stephanie Schile of Rock Island in a hug of gratitude for her generosity.

“That’s what we’re here for,” Schile said after donating $92, her winning share of the first of two 50/50 drawings during “Make a Difference Day,” staged by Royal Neighbors of America in its parking lot Saturday in downtown Rock Island.

Stovall is the grandmother of Rock Island High School football player Travis Hearn, who remains in Kindred Hospital in Sycamore, Ill., after he was injured in a game Sept. 22 against Rock Island Alleman High School. The day and all proceeds from the event were to be dedicated to the high school junior, who suffered a severe spinal injury and is paralyzed from the shoulders down.

“This is a wonderful thing,” Stovall said after thanking Schile. “It is unbelievable, all the support we’ve been getting. I don’t know how to put it into words.”

Members of the injured teen’s family have been trying to go to most of the fundraisers that have been held around the community to generate cash to help cover Hearn’s medical bills to thank donors, said Amy Stovall, an aunt who has taken a leave of absence from her job in Los Angeles, Calif., to be with her family during the aftermath of the injury.

Hearn is doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances, Amy Stovall said. Family members are with him everyday. He gets visits from friends and teammates and cards and letters offering encouragement and good wishes have poured in.

Schiles said she doesn’t know Hearn, but she and her husband were in the stands at Augustana College stadium for the sophomore game the night the young man was injured. “We left before the game to go to dinner so we didn’t see it. It just breaks your heart,” she added.

Cynthia Tidwell, president of Royal Neighbors, said Make a Difference Day is a national event held each year in October and her company always participates. This year, Royal Neighbors offered to match up to $5,000 what ever was raised by dozens of items sold at silent auctions and other fundraising activities.

“This year, we wanted to make a difference for Travis,” Tidwell said. “That is something the whole community has rallied around. Unless the community helps, he may not be able to get all the help that he needs.”

Troy Joseph, freshman football coach at Rock Island High who coached Hearn when he was younger, said he showed up to see how the fundraising was going. After witnessing the number of people who showed up to contribute, he said he was proud of how the community has reacted to such a tragic event.

At the high school, Joseph said, many of the kids have been saddened by the incident and wish all the best for Hearn. “They all want to see him back in school.”

As for Hearn himself, Joseph said he went to visit him last week. “He’s hanging in there,” he said.

Tom Saul can be contacted at (563)383-2453 or tsaul@qctimes.com.