Gerber Lumber honors its late co-owner

DGKN staff report

KIDRON  Gerber Lumber & Hardware will have a charity raffle as a tribute to the business’ former co-owner on Aug. 2 in conjunction with the annual Kidron Volunteer Fire Department Chicken barbecue fundraiser at Kidron Community Park.

The raffle is in memory of the late Eldon Gerber, former co-owner of Gerber Lumber & Hardware. Eldon and Steve Gerber sold the business to Steve Miller and Kyle Simmons in 2021. Eldon retired after the completion of the sale, but unfortunately passed away shortly after on Oct. 18, 2021 at the age of 75, according to a news release from Gerber Lumber.

Eldon Gerber planned to purchase a new Jeep to enjoy traveling to see friends and family during retirement.

While the Jeep could no longer be enjoyed by Eldon, the Gerber Lumber & Hardware team determined that the best way to honor Eldon’s legacy would be to give the vehicle away as part of a charity raffle, the news release states.

2,000 tickets will be sold for the raffle at a price of $100 each. The raffle winner will be able to take home the Jeep, or receive a $40,000 cash offer from the dealership to sell back the vehicle.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the raffle will be used to support organizations that were important to Eldon Gerber during his life. Funds raised through the raffle will go to Central American Medical Outreach, the Kidron Community Fund, Kidron Community Park, the Kidron Volunteer Fire Department, and the Boy Scouts of America.

“Eldon was a Christian who always went the extra mile,” Kathy Tschiegg, Founder and Executive Director of CAMO USA said in the news release. “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 is a nondenominational Christian humanitarian organization that provides over 130,000 life-saving medical services to impoverished individuals in Central America. The organization also provides educational and community development services, partnering with professional counterparts in Honduras to further extend its reach.

The Kidron Community Fund provides charitable fundraising for local families going through hardships, as well as community activities, events, and safety initiatives. The Kidron Community Park is home to a community building, recreational building, two baseball diamonds, play areas, walking paths, and a picnic pavilion, serving as a much-loved community gathering place. The Boy Scouts of America has provided service, community engagement, and leadership opportunities for youth since its founding in 1910.

Described as a man of faith who “never knew a stranger,” the Gerber Lumber & Hardware team is eager to raise additional funds for organizations dear to Eldon Gerber that do good both in the Kidron community and abroad, the news release states.

The Gerber Lumber & Hardware team also gratefully acknowledges the willingness of the Kidron Volunteer Fire Department in holding the raffle as part of their chicken dinner fundraiser, which has been a community staple for more than 60 years.

This year, the fire department plans to cook 6,000 chicken halves to meet demand.

As with previous years, drive-thru orders of chicken only will be available at Central Christian High School beginning at 3:30 p.m. Full meals will be available at Kidron Community Park beginning at 4:30 p.m. Orders will be available at both locations until the chicken has sold out.