Benefit planned for WCHS’s Mr. V.
Students, co-workers raise money to help a teacher fight cancerBy EMILIE NELSON For the Daily Freeman-Journal
Article Photos
Fact Box
If you go ...
What: Benefit for Webster City High School teacher Kurt Veldhuizen to help with medical costs as he battles Hodgkin's disease.
The benefit will offer live and silent auctions and a freewill donation meal. Students will also be selling T-shirts.
When: Febuary 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Webster City High School
To make a donation: If anyone would like to donate items for the auctions, contact the Webster City High School at 832-9210.
A group of Webster City High School students is teaming up to give back to a teacher who has given much of his time and effort to building a strong agriculture and FFA program over the past several years.
Kurt Veldhuizen, better known to students as "Mr. V.," was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease for the second time in his life last summer.
Veldhuizen, 28, was originally diagnosed with the cancer in 2002 while he was a college student, his students said. He has been a teacher at Webster City High School for five years.
"Toward the end of last school year he started feeling less than good," said senior FFA member Katelynn McCollough. "That's when he found out the cancer was back."
Since that time, he has undergone several chemotherapy treatments and received a bone marrow transplant at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, preventing him from being able to return to work this school year.
In recent weeks, Veldhuizen's students, their long-term substitute teacher Jeff Burlage, and school secretary Denice Meyer have been working together to plan a benefit to help offset some of the medical expenses for the teacher they have all come to love.
"We knew he could use some help financially with the bone marrow transplant," said McCollough.
A WCHS senior and FFA president, Andrew Monson, said Veldhuizen's teaching style and outgoing personality have made him a well-liked teacher among students during the five years he has taught at the school.
"He's just a kid at heart," he said. "Mr. V. makes sure we have fun in class, but you always learn something from him by the end of the day, too."
"He's been one of my favorite teachers," said McCollough. "His classes are enjoyable and a lot of kids take his classes just for the chance to have a class with him because he is such a cool teacher."
Senior Garret Johnson said Veldhuizen spends time outside of school the regular school day helping his students prepare FFA projects and also serves as a volunteer firefighter for the Blairsburg Fire Department.
"He does a lot for the community," said Johnson.
The group of students said Veldhuizen has been confined to his home and the hospital while undergoing treatments, and may not be able to attend the Feb. 28 benefit, but that they hope to have a video conferencing site up during the event so he will be able to see and communicate with his students, friends and co-workers.
The benefit will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Webster City High School. It will feature a freewill donation meal and live and silent auctions. Students are also selling T-shirts in support of Veldhuizen with all proceeds from the sales going toward the benefit. An account has also been set up for the Veldhuizen benefit at First State Bank in Webster City. Anyone interested in purchasing a T-shirt or donating an auction item may call Webster City High School at 832- 9210.
Contact Emilie Nelson at 573-2141 or enelson@messengernews.net
