HH_072017

homerhorizon.com life & arts
the Homer Horizon | July 20, 2017 | 17
Area unites to support ailing woman at Hoedown for Hodgkin’s
Megann Horstead
Freelance Reporter
Anyone who has battled
cancer knows how crucial it
is to have support.
As such, the family of
New Lenox resident Allison
Bolhuis hosted a benefit
dubbed Hoedown for Hodgkin’s
July 9 for people across
the area to help support her
in her battle to beat Hodgkin’s
lymphoma, a cancer of
the body’s immune system
that starts in the body’s white
blood cells, called lymphocytes.
It was all part of an
effort to help raise funds to
pay for medical bills.
Live entertainment, hayrides
and Touch-A-Trucks
were some of the activities
setting the scene at Konow’s
Corn Maze in Homer Glen.
Bolhuis said the outpouring
of support was unimaginable.
“It’s so overwhelming,”
she said. “I can barely keep
it together. I can’t believe
how much support and how
wonderful everybody [is] in
the community — people I
don’t even know, people I’ve
never met before.”
But not everyone was
a stranger. Bolhuis met a
number of familiar faces she
had not seen in a long time,
including her former gym
teacher who taught her while
enrolled in New Lenox
schools.
“That’s amazing that she
would come out for this,”
she said.
Bolhuis’ sister, Lisa Kikkert,
of Manhattan, said the
display of support shown
means everything to her.
“This is like seriously one
of the most emotional things
I think any one of us have
ever seen,” she said, noting
the generosity of the staff
at Konow’s Corn Maze for
hosting the benefit for them
at no cost. “It’s overwhelming.
It’s so nice.”
A number of bands also
donated their time to keep
live tunes playing throughout
the event.
“We’re so fortunate people
are being so gratuitous,”
Kikkert said.
The benefit saw an estimated
200 people prepay for
admission, and Kikkert said
the family heard how attendance
at events of this type
could double by the day of.
Kikkert added it is important
to note her sister is not
alone in her battle to beat
Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“I live less than five miles
away from her,” she said.
“Her kids are friends with my
kids, so I try to help her out
with her kids as much as possible.
I sat through one of her
chemo treatments with her,
which again was like a super
emotional thing ... We talked
the whole time, and it was a
nice thing. She was very glad
I was there, which was nice.”
Bolhuis’ nurse made an
appearance at the benefit,
and Kikkert said it was a
nice gesture.
“She’s super great, and
[the nurse and Allison] were
friends in high school,” she
said. “[The nurse] has a really
good interest in making
sure everything goes well for
[Bolhuis]. I mean, not that
anybody ever wants to ever
have this horrible disease,
but she’s in a really good
position. She’s got a lot of
support from her doctors on
down to all of us and strangers.
It’s like you’re speechless.
You don’t even know
what to say.”
Kikkert said she is glad to
help Bolhuis in any way she
can.
“It’s just my baby sister,”
she said. “I hate seeing her
suffer, but I have a lot of
faith that she’s going to be
okay.”
Ken and Allison Bolhuis sing during the Hoedown for Hodgkin’s event July 9 at Konow’s Corn Maze in Homer Glen.
PHOTOS BY Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media
Michele Miller sings with Chicks with Picks 2.0 during the Hoedown for Hodgkin’s event.