As you may know, a dear friend of the Gerber Lumber & Hardware family, Eldon Gerber, passed away late last year. Eldon Gerber was a previous owner of Gerber Lumber who carried on the founding principles of honesty, integrity, quality, and dedication to customer service first established when his grandfather E.P. Gerber opened his sawmill in 1901.
Eldon Gerber retired after the sale of the company was complete in September 2021— but unfortunately, he passed away shortly after his retirement at the age of 75. A man of faith who was a friend to everyone he met, Eldon deserved the best in retirement. He was planning to purchase a new Jeep to travel to see friends and family during his retirement, but sadly passed before being able to do so.
While Eldon may not be able to enjoy the Jeep himself, Gerber Lumber & Hardware decided to make sure someone would enjoy that Jeep, while also supporting something Eldon would have been proud to be a part of.
Gerber Lumber’s Charity Raffle
In honor of Eldon Gerber, Gerber Lumber & Hardware will raffle off the Jeep as part of a charity event on Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022. The raffle will be held in conjunction with the Kidron Volunteer Fire Department Chicken Dinner Fundraiser, which will be held at the Kidron Community Park. Tickets can be purchased the night of the event, or in advance through the Gerber Lumber website (https://www.gerberlumber.com/eldon-charity/). If you buy tickets online, they will be emailed to you.
If you’re not interested in a Jeep, the raffle is still worth your time. The dealership has generously offered to buy the car back from the winner for $40,000 if they don’t want the Jeep.
2,000 tickets will be sold for the raffle at a price of $100 each, with the winner to be selected that Friday. The proceeds from the raffle will go directly to charitable organizations that were important to Eldon during his life. This includes CAMO (Central American Medical Outreach), the Kidron Community Fund, Kidron Community Park, the Kidron Volunteer Fire Department, and the Boy Scouts of America.
With the funds raised from this raffle, the Gerber Lumber & Hardware team hopes to continue to build on the legacy that Eldon established as a lifelong member of the Kidron community. These causes have provided so much to Kidron and many other parts of the world over the years, and we’re sure that he would love seeing the community come together to give back to them in some way.
“Eldon was a Christian who always went the extra mile,” says Kathy Tschiegg, Founder and Executive Director of CAMO USA. “When I asked him for a bid on lumber to build our mission back in 1998, he returned my call and said that he would take it upon himself to ask the companies he did business with for donations of the rafters, siding, shingles, and more. In the end, all the materials were donated, allowing us to really serve those in the greatest need.”
CAMO provides over 130,000 life-saving services to impoverished people in Central America each year. Launched in 1993, this nondenominational Christian humanitarian organization also provides education and community development services. Counterpart relationships with professionals in Honduras further expand the reach of their programs.
The Kidron Volunteer Fire Department operates out of a single station that is manned by 31 volunteers, helping to protect the local community from fires and other dangers. The Kidron Community Park was also important to Eldon, and continues to serve as an important gathering place for the fire department fundraiser and other local events and activities. These and the other worthy organizations that will be impacted by the raffle highlight the sense of care and community that Eldon valued.
About the Kidron Volunteer Fire Department Fundraiser
Folks who live in the Kidron, Ohio area have come to love the organization’s annual Firemens’ Chicken BBQ fundraising event. For over 60 years, this event has served as a way to bring the community together and raise funds to help the fire department in its operations.
As with previous years, chicken orders only will be offered as a drive-through at Central Christian High School, starting at 3:30 p.m. and lasting until the chicken halves at that location have been sold out. Full meals will be offered at Kidron Community Park, starting at 4:30 p.m. and running until all dinners have sold out. The Kidron Volunteer Fire Department plans to cook 6,000 chicken halves this year, so there should be plenty for everyone to enjoy!
The golden, salty, and oh-so-juicy chicken may be the main draw, but you can’t beat enjoying a good old fashioned evening of fun and fellowship with your local community members. As with past years, entertainment will be provided by a local band, and pony rides and other fun activities will be available for the kids to enjoy.
This event has become a community staple for good reason, and the Gerber Lumber & Hardware team hopes that by combining the charity raffle with the fundraiser event, we can increase our capacity to do good in Eldon Gerber’s name.
Mark Your Calendars!
With summer fast approaching, this year’s Firemens’ Chicken BBQ fundraiser will be here before you know it — and with it, the chance to make an even bigger impact in the Kidron community and elsewhere through the charity raffle. Winning a Jeep is an exciting prize, but we hope that all who participate will also experience a sense of fulfillment by helping support the causes that were so important to Eldon Gerber.
We look forward to seeing you on August 2nd for a fun night with the community, as we all eat delicious chicken dinners, enjoying each others’ company, and supporting some great causes in memory of a wonderful man of faith.