craigdailypress.com

Craig — When tragedy hits a family, it's nice to know friends can be counted on in times of need.

And one Craig family is experiencing that.

On Oct. 21, Ron Alexander Jr., a mechanic at Trapper Mine, suffered a brain aneurysm and now is in intensive care at University Hospital in Denver.

While in Denver, some of the wives of Trapper employees saw a need and decided a fundraiser was in order.

Alexander has been at Trapper Mine for less than a year, and although he has medical insurance, he has not worked at the mine long enough to acquire adequate sick leave to cover the month he has been away.

That means the family is left without income while he recovers.

"We wrestled with many different ideas," said Kerry Alonso, whose husband works at the mine and is a friend of Alexander. "We decided to do a chili supper so we could get friends, family and the community together."

And plus, "everybody likes chili," said Roxanne Nelson, another friend of the family who also helped organize the event.

The supper is from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Moffat County High School cafeteria and will cost $5 a plate.

Wednesday also happens to be Alexander's birthday.

This kind of support is common for a place like Trapper Mine, Alonso said.

"Trapper Mine thinks of themselves as a family," she said. "I think if you live in a bigger city, you don't get this kind of response."

Beyond the chili dinner, there will be a silent auction featuring donated items and desserts for sale baked by some of the Trapper wives.

Miners also donated Spree Bucks - vouchers from the Craig Chamber of Commerce to spend at local businesses - that were given to them for the Thanksgiving holiday from Trapper Mine.

The amount totaled almost $3,000 from about 90 miners, much more than anticipated, Alonso said.

"It's been unbelievable so far," Nelson said of the response. "It's going to be a great turnout."