SHELBY – Lexi Surgener is getting a six-month head start on what most folks generally consider the giving season.
Surgener, a Shelby resident, and her fiancée Logan Allenbaugh will host a Christmas in July Cleaning Supply Drive, sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House, Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Shelby YMCA parking lot, 111 W Smiley Ave.
The Surgeners’ partnership with the Ronald McDonald House came through their own experience. It started when Lexi Surgener dealt with pregnancy complications three years ago. Surgener had HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) syndrome, a potentially life-threatening issue for both mother and child.
Surgener went to OhioHealth Grant Medical Hospital in Columbus, where she gave birth to her son at 27 weeks and four days.
“He was 1 pound and 14.7 ounces … and 13 inches long, so a very small, little one,” Surgener said. “Since we knew we were going to have a long NICU journey, we talked to one of our social workers and they hooked us up with the Ronald McDonald House.”
The Ronald McDonald House provided instant help and connection. Surgener’s goal with any charity event she hosts, including the annual Christmas in July Cleaning Supply Drive, is to give back to the House for that reason.
The event will have several food outlets in attendance – Marketside Grill out of Willard, Chip Off the Old Guac from Ashland, Nomad Coffee from Shelby and Dirty Soda Saloon from Galion.
“People can get their beverages, food or whatever else they want,” Surgener said.
The event has been a perfect gateway for Surgener to meet people with similar experiences. The Ronald McDonald House has touched the lives of so many around her.
“The community has come together in so many different ways,” Surgener said. “Ashland, Shelby, Willard, Plymouth, Greenwich – everyone has come together as one big family … It was amazing the number of people that reached out to me and said, ‘Thank you so much for what you do with the Ron McDonald House. Our family has stayed there for a week or two, or even a year or more.'”
The list of acceptable cleaning supplies to donate, for those not looking to donate money, includes: disinfectant spray and wipes, scent-free laundry pods, toilet cleaner, Clorox products, hand soap and paper towels. More information can be found on Surgener’s Facebook page.
