MARION -- A fundraiser for the family of Marion Unit District 2 instructor Tim Mieldezis has been set for this Friday evening when the junior varsity and varsity high school boys' basketball teams play host to Carbondale. The junior varsity game begins at 6:15 p.m.
A former athlete at MHS (Class of 2010) and Rend Lake College, Mieldezis and his wife, Aubrey, became parents of premature triplets on Sept. 1. Two of the children -- Skylar and Julian -- died. The third infant, Grayson, survived and remains in stable condition in the intensive care unit at St. Louis Children's Hospital. He is 4 months old.
The fundraiser includes the sale of T-shirts ($10 for short sleeve and $15 for long sleeve), as well as Cardinals and Cubs gift baskets and a 50/50 money raffle. Those individuals who prefer making a straight donation may do so in the Mieldezis' name by mailing it to Marion High School, 1700 Wildcat Road, Marion, IL, 62959.
"It's extremely humbling to see how many care about you and your family," said Mieldezis, a physical education instructor at Adams School in Creal Springs, his first year in the Marion school district after three at Pope County.
"Aubrey and I are very appreciative of the fundraisers. Anything we receive will be used to help defray our medical costs," Mieldezis said. Mieldezis said Aubrey, who works at SI Elder Law in Marion, has stayed virtually the entire four months since delivery at either the hospital or the Ronald McDonald House.
"It's like $15 a night through the hospital and our fee was waived," he said. "If we have any money left over at the end of all this, we plan on donating it back to the Ronald McDonald House. I don't know what we would do without them."
Mieldezis said he intends to be at the game Friday.
Also attending the game will be fundraising coordinator Joni Manfredo.
"This is just something we wanted to do to hep the family," Manfredo said. "And we should have a nice crowd at the game Friday with Carbondale in town. We hope people will turn out and participate in our fundraisers. It's a very worthy cause."
