By: Tammy Curtis, Managing Editor
The amount of support that continues to come in for Cave City athlete Jacob Moore continued to astonish and humble him and his family Saturday night. Feb. 18 at the 3A-2 District Finals game at Cave City High School Gym, it was another round of tears as the love for human kind was exhibited yet again. Moore made his way onto the court via a walker, after undergoing a grueling week of chemotherapy, including having to get two units of blood. This is just one of numerous gatherings where Moore, who was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia B-ALL on Jan. 7, just after his senior basketball season began was honored. He began undergoing chemotherapy soon after and communities across the area have continually stepped up with a wide variety of fundraisers to help with medical and travel expenses for the Moores.
A tee shirt fundraiser organized by Newport Coach Ty Ferguson grew to include many communities. He designed the shirt and helped plan this with the support of all of the schools in the area and a matching fund from Modern Woodmen. They were able to raise $4,536 through the sale of the shirts he designed. The Moore family thanked Modern Woodmen, Rawk Imprinting, Cave City Schools, Hoxie Schools, Melbourne Schools, Mountain View Schools, Newport Schools, Salem Schools, Tuckerman Schools and Walnut Ridge Schools, all who competed in the Finals on Feb. 17-18 at Cave City.
That was not the only presentation made to the Moore family at the game on Feb. 18. North Arkansas Electric Cooperative hosted a gun raffle raising over $6,000 for the family. Moore’s brother, Levi Verser is currently in lineman school. “I cannot say enough what a blessing it has been to know the support he has received from NAEC. He loves the people so much and he can’t wait to go to work full time after April,” his mother Dianne said. NAEC representatives Billy Smart and Clint Ray presented Jacob with the funds raised from the benefit.
Jacob’s mother has been overwhelmed by the love and support that is continually shown to her family from not just their home town of Cave City, but the entire region. On Feb. 7, the Highland YOU Path classes, Student Council, community and area businesses raised $10,000 for the family, along with various other fund-raisers completed or ongoing.
Rusty Bettis, director of Mpact Sports in Austin, Texas, saw the story on KAIT8’s social media about Rebel Nation raising $10,000 for Jacob right after the donation was made. Bettis has family in the area. He contacted the district and then donated an additional$2,000 to the Moore’s. Mpact Sports is an organization that works hard to ensure that all youth have access to materials and equipment needed to participate in sports.
Besides the GoFundMe account set up early on that has raised nearly$25,000, an account has also been set up at Bank of Cave City for donations. Dianne said Jacob has chemotherapy Tuesday through Friday this week, as he did last week. He will then undergo two more weeks of treatments in March, but the family has not received the schedule for April. “There are not enough words to describe how blessed we are by so many kind and generous people the acts of kindness that have been shown to Jacob and our family has surpassed anything we could ever have imagined. The prayers have kept us going. Our hearts are touched by all. We heard the total from NAEC was $6000 which is unreal,” Dianne added of the families thankfulness for the communities who have helped during their hardest times.
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