LAHARPE — The competition was most definitely secondary Sunday.
Teams of pony-pullers from across the Midwest — one from as far away as Illinois — were at the home of Tim and Dana Vest Sunday afternoon for a “Pulling For Jim” fundraiser.
Proceeds from the competition, plus other events including a silent auction, bake sale and other donations, went to Iolan Jim Boeken, a long-time puller who is battling stage 4 throat and lung cancer.
“Jimmy’s always been a go-getter, and he even wanted to pull today,” Dana Vest said. “But he’s struggling. I hate that he’s having to go through all these struggles. We just want to help out, and maybe make things a little easier.”
Boeken, a truck driver, has been unable to work for more than a year as he underwent radiation and chemotherapy. He recently was approved to receive disability benefits.
The disease has taken a toll on his body. Unable to eat while undergoing treatment for his throat cancer, his weight plummeted from 240 pounds to a frail 170.
“It knocked the cancer down, but not all of it,” Boeken said. “I get worn down pretty quickly.”
He is able to eat again, however. “Food is good,” he declared at one point.
In fact, Boeken had competed at a pony pull on Saturday in Bronson, but the effort left him too fatigued to give it a go on Sunday.
Instead, he had a front-row seat to watch as the other pullers took turns hitching their pony tandems to a large sled weighted with cinder blocks.
Several well-wishers stopped by to greet him with a hug or a handshake. Several also handed over cash.
“I’ve seen that more than once,” Dana Vest. “People are very generous with something like this.”
The Vests have organized similar fundraisers for friends in years past.
“The way I look at it, I’d hope someone would do something like this for me if I ever needed help,” Tim Vest said.
Many of the competitors in Bronson decided to stick around the area for an extra day for Boeken’s benefit.
Meanwhile, Dana Vest spent the better part of three months soliciting donations for the silent auction. More than 100 donors areed to make a contribution of some sort.
