Giving back: PVO helps out Abernathy family with fundraiser

The Prairieview-Ogden community knows how to come together.

And tonight is no exception.

Corey Abernathy, who was an assistant coach with the seventh and eighth-grade girls basketball team, has been diagnosed with Glioblastoma cancer.

Dave Lannert, the PVO seventh and eighth-grade basketball coach, wanted to help and show Abernathy, his wife Stephanie, daughter Sydney and son Wesley, that the community was supporting them during their battle. And the community has responded.

“It’s just the way small towns react to specific situations,” Lannert said. “It doesn’t matter if you battle each other in sports, live in a different town or don’t know the parties involved. Small towns come together at critical times and the response and support is unbelievable.”

Lannert said when he found out Abernathy was sick and couldn’t coach with him again this year, he immediately thought of what could be done to help the family out.

“Cory is dad, husband and a great guy overall,” Lannert said. “He has a unique personality and he doesn’t like to lose which is what he brought with him on the coaching end. Cory brought the details to the team, he would analyze plays and dig deep into them to see what we needed to do to make things work. He was also defensive minded, and he liked to see the girls get after it on the defensive end. This goes along with his personality, he is a fighter and like I said he doesn’t like to lose so we know that he will keep fighting through this disease.”

Lannert approached PVO superintendent Vic White about a fundraiser and White immediately said yes.

“As you know, the Prairieview-Ogden Community has helped on many occasions when support is needed,” White said. “I am proud of this area and the community members.”

Tonight, PVO will play Armstrong-Potomac in a girls’ basketball game, which is Abernathy’s alma mater. He graduated from the school in 1999 and was a standout athlete in multiple sports.

White said Abernathy is a beloved coach at PVO.

“The players loved him as their coach,” he said.

The game will take place at St. Joseph-Ogden High School at 6 p.m. after having to be moved from PVO because of the community support for the fundraiser.

White said the Armstrong-Potomac Superintendent, Bill Mulvaney, reached out to him and expressed concern that the gym at PVO wouldn’t be able to hold the crowd that he expected. So White reached out to St. Joseph-Ogden High School Superintendent Brian Brooks.

“Within an hour, we had moved the game from the PVO gym to the SJO gym,” White said.

During the game, the stands will be covered in shirts that support Abernathy.

Lannert reached out to Wagner Signs and Graphics and asked them to create a shirt honoring Abernathy.

They agreed to donate 10 percent of all sales back to the family.

“My first thought was the t-shirts that have never give up on one sleeve and his initials on the other, I got a hold of Wagners and they were awesome in coming up with a design and very kind in donating 10 percent back to Cory’s family of each shirt sold,” Lannert said.

Lannert also set up an online fundraiser and hoped to raise $2,500. It has exceeded his expectations and has currently has raised $7,135.

“It spread like wildfire and people are so generous in their giving and keep in mind these aren’t just people who know Cory, there are some that don’t know him at all that are generous in giving to a good cause,” Lannert said.

A check will be presented to Abernathy family members tonight at the game.

“I thought a good time to present a check to the family would be at the PVO/Armstrong game and why wouldn’t it be?” Lannert said. “We have both teams that Cory represented in the same building and his family and friends in attendance who are 100 percent behind him.”

There will also be a 50/50 drawing and other activities to raise money for the Abernathy family.

White said he isn’t surprised at how the PVO community has responded to the fundraiser.

“Corey is well-liked in the community and well-liked as a PVO coach and parent,” he said. “He is a very positive person with a great personality.”

Lannert said he had no doubt the community would step up to help.

“When someone is fighting for their life everyone comes together in the time of need to help with the fight, no matter what they need to do the response is overwhelming. No one wants to see cancer win another fight and until a cure is found, people will continue to be supportive and help in any way possible,” he said.

You can follow Corey’s journey on his CaringBridge site.

There will also be a BINGO fundraiser in January to benefit the Abernathy family.