For the Children helps with expenses

The Daily Inter Lake

Alex Hanson's family knows firsthand how expensive medical care can be for a continuing illness, especially when treatment is hundreds of miles away in Seattle.

For the past four years, the local nonprofit organization For the Children Inc. has helped the family pay for lodging, air fares, gas, rental cars and meals while Hanson has been in treatment for cancer and related illnesses.

"It's been a huge help with the uncompensated expenses related to travel," Hanson's mother, Kathy Emerson, said. "I don't know how we'd make it without their help."

Her son qualifies for government assistance under the Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income programs, so most but not all of his medical expenses are covered.

The Winter Classic, the annual fundraiser of For the Children, begins today with the Celebrity Basketball Game at 7 p.m. in the Columbia Falls High School gym.

Other events include:

-An autograph session with NFL celebrities and local All-Star players is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Big Mountain Summit House.

-The VIP dinner and art auction are at 7 p.m. Friday at Grouse Mountain Lodge. Art is on display at Stillwater Gallery in Whitefish and can be viewed online at www.whitefishwinterclassic.org. Tickets are $70 each; call 862-8146.

-The snow picnic and barbecue are from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on Big Mountain; donations are requested. NFL players will be there.

-The poker run is from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday in Whitefish restaurants and bars; begins and ends at the Paddle and Axe. Cost is $10 for each poker hand.

-A champagne brunch is from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Whitefish Lake Restaurant; admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 12 and younger.

Call 862-8146.