Every year Summit High School chooses a “sparrow” from the Sparrow Club to sponsor and raise money for medical bills. This year’s sparrow is familiar to our family so it hits much closer to home.

Katie Hinton danced alongside my daughter at Central Oregon School of Ballet for several years before quietly quitting some time ago. Devon (my daughter) also left ballet in the last year so we didn’t hear much about Katie until she was chosen by Summit to be their sparrow for 2013.

You can read more about Katie and her illness here – http://www.sparrowclubs.org/sparrows/katie-hinton but what I can tell you about her personally is that she is a beautiful girl who always smiled through her performances. I watched from the sidelines as she grew, her younger siblings were born, and she blossomed into a  young lady. She has always had the support of her family and now it’s time to ask for support from the sidelines.

Mr.Thunder is a pageant-type event put on by Summit High School and its students. Several of the male students volunteer their time to raise money for their sparrow and the fundraising effort culminates in an evening of laughs, talent, jokes, tears, and, ultimately, a gift.

The Mr. Thunder pageant takes place tomorrow night, April 23, at 6:30 in the Summit High School auditorium. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds will go to Katie’s care. Tickets can be purchased online through the school district’s website or at the door. However, this event is expected to sell out so you might not want to wait until then.