Groups and individuals from across Georgia, North Carolina and elsewhere have raised more than $70,000 for the family of Dustin and Cristen Haire, who lost their infant daughter in a car crash and have another daughter in serious but stable condition at a Charlotte, N.C., hospital.
Thousands of Facebook likes and hundreds of messages of love have been sent as a show of support and love for the Haire family, who are beside the hospital bed of Brooke Haire, who is showing positive signs of recovery after struggling to eat or breathe on her own in the week after the vehicle accident in Kannapolis, N.C.
Ride to Give, a group of bicycling enthusiasts who have raised money for other families facing difficult situations following an accident, raised $61,000 in an online fundraiser. (See the list of donations and how the fundraiser came to be at the group’s website.)
The following message was posted by Greg Haire–Dustin’s father and Aubrey and Brooke’s grandfather–on his Facebook and later shared on the Prayers for the Haire family Facebook page.
My name is Greg Haire and I am Brooke and Aubrey’s grandfather. I would like to thank all of you for your kindness and your prayers for my son Dusty and daughter in law Cristen during this difficult time. Also for the prayers for the rest of the family also. It is wonderful to know that there are still people that care even if we don’t know you personally. Also for those that have made donations, I extend my most heartfelt gratitude. May God bless you for your kindness and generosity.
Cristen, who has been by her daughter Brooke’s side helping her through the difficult first days of recovery, posted the following to Facebook. We are re-posting because it was shared on the Prayers for the Haire family Facebook page. Cristen wrote:
I go to bed every night hoping to wake up next to my sweet girls and realize this was all just a bad dream. Yesterday our pastor shared with us this, “God never wastes a hurt.” I keep reminding myself of these words and pray God blesses those that are here supporting us, loving us, and lifting us up in prayers. To all you mommy and daddy’s out there, hold your babies tight, never tell them you don’t have the time right now, and embrace those moments you feel are testing you. We are only given children for a short, precious time.
Casey Alday, a friend of the family, said there are several fundraisers going on. She said a group in Seminole County held a spaghetti supper on Oct. 26 to raise money for the Haire family. A men’s softball tournament will be held at the Bill Reynolds Sports Park in Bainbridge on Nov. 8 to benefit the Haires (scroll to bottom of page for full details).
In addition, there are several items you can purchase in memory of Aubrey and to show support for Brooke by raising money for her medical care. You can check out the full list on the Prayers for the Haire Family, but here are a couple of the ones being organized in Bainbridge:
Pink and purple bows (Brooke Haire’s favorite colors) are being sold for $8 each. You can buy them at Casey Alday’s photography studio at the intersection of Clarke Street and Water Street in downtown Bainbridge (Alday’s phone is 229-220-0018), at Nikki Lynn’s Flowers on Dothan Road, or by calling Chelsy Trawick.
Griffin’s Uniforms in Bainbridge is also selling pink and purple bracelets that read “Aubrey and Brooke” on them, to show support for the Haires and remember Aubrey. The bracelets cost $3 each and you can pick them up at Griffin’s Uniforms, located just north of the intersection of Lamar Street and Shotwell Street in Bainbridge, near the Winn-Dixie. Griffin’s Uniforms are also selling t-shirts to go along with the softball tournament with the message “Swings for Aubrey and Brooke” with a picture of a baseball bat and ball. The shirts are $15 each and proceeds after cost also go to the Haire family.
A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help with funeral cost for baby Aubrey and medical bills for Brooke.
http://www.gofundme.com/ftlnp8
Rachel Lanier, who sells Jamberry nail wraps, is donating her portion of proceeds from the sale of a specially-designed pink and purple nail wraps to the Haire family. Check out more info at her Facebook fundraiser page.
The softball tournament is being organized by Travis McCann. Here’s the information:
Swings for Aubrey and Brooke
Men’s/CO-ED SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Where: Bainbridge, GA @Bill Reynolds Sport Complex
When: November 8, 2014
Men’s tournament
Bat Info: All sanctioned bats, no ultras or titanium.
Ball info: any .44 core ball up to 575 compression
CO-ED tournament
Bat info: guys can swing any sanctioned bat, no ultras or titanium
girls can swing any bat
Ball info: any 375 or 400 comp. 44 core
Format is 6 guys and 4 girls or 5 guys or 5 girls
Tournament info:
MENS and CO-ED tournament, $150 entry fee per team, 1-1 count when you come up to bat. homeruns are 5-10 low bid, 1st place gets trophy and shirts. All money raised goes to the family! So please lets help the HAIRE family in their time of need! Contact Travis 229-726-6364 or Tony 229-220-3082 for any questions. Deadline to enter the tournament is Nov 6.
Brennan, thank you for posting this for our family. I know Dusty and Cristen appreciate all of the love and support they have received from the communities.