CHRIS APONICK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, October 30, 2004 7:00 pm
A group of Lincoln teens went door-to-door in a neighborhood near Holmes Lake on Sunday, but they weren't collecting Halloween treats.
Holly Remmenga, 16, and five other Lincoln East High School students knocked on doors to collect donations for Brady Beran, a football player who was critically injured in a game Sept. 24.
Beran has been dismissed from BryanLGH Medical Center West, according to the hospital's records.
Beran was moved to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital on Friday, said his brother Matt.
Remmenga, who is one of Beran's friends, was one of at least 200 teens from Lincoln area high schools who canvassed the city Sunday afternoon.
The total amount of money raised should be known by Tuesday, said Scott Guenther, one of the event's organizers. He said he would be collecting money from the participating schools today and Tuesday.
Guenther, the youth director at Messiah Lutheran Church, came up with the idea for the Brady Beran Trick or Treat fund-raiser and was able to get help from several student councils in promoting the event.
Remmenga said her group collected $563.25, including $100 from Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Susan Gourley.
"She just told us that it was a great cause," she said.
Remmenga wore a blue and white "The Brady Bunch" T-shirt and used a brown envelope to carry the money as she knocked on doors. More than 1,000 T-shirts have been sold at $10 a piece.
The group also tied blue balloons to each house they stopped at to show other Beran trick-or-treaters that they had visited.
After meeting at East High, Remmenga's group headed to 17-year-old Jake Schwinn's East Lincoln home to start collecting.
Before they got to the end of Schwinn's street, the group had gained two more people.
Judd Stutzman, 17, joined up after he pulled into the driveway and saw them gathering at his neighbor's house.
Stutzman, who played running back and free safety at East, was on the field when Beran was injured.
"It put everything into reality," he said.
Dana Bell, 15, hit the streets with Remmenga after her mother, Laura, donated $50 to the cause.
Phil Swaroff wished the group well after he donated $5 to the cause. "I hope you get a lot of money," he said.
Swaroff said it was good to see people out raising money for Beran.
"You just pray that things turn out all right," he said.
Remmenga said she was surprised at how supportive people had been of Beran. Jake Johnson, who walked with Remmenga's group, said he figured Beran's family would be faced with high medical bills, so every little fund-raiser helps out.
East also has planned a dance for 8 p.m. Nov. 19 and a cheerleading exhibition 7 p.m. Nov. 9 to raise money for Beran.
Johnson said the fund-raiser was a good way to help out Beran and still have Halloween fun.
"I'm too old to do (regular) trick or treating," he said.
Reach Chris Aponick at 473-7120 or caponick@journalstar.com.