Words can't express the feeling after a donation of $4,000 dollars was presented to the Pettinger family for Braden Pettinger at Simplot Food Products Supplier yesterday. That from Larry Pettinger, Braden's uncle.

"I don't know. Words can't express it. Portage continues to just absolutely amaze us with their compassion and their understanding, and their feelings for something like this when it has happened."

Three Portage Terriers were on location with Larry Pettinger to receive the donation, and enjoyed the fatboy meal with fries at the cafeteria.

John Rumpli, Simplot Micro Utility TechnicianSimplot micro utility technician John Rumpli explains how he came up with the fundraiser.

"Well, how it started was, I remember seeing what happened to Braden Pettinger on Facebook, and I was feeling really bad about it. And I made a comment, 'All I want for Christmas is for Braden Pettinger to get better.' And as soon as I posted it, the words kind of felt hollow. Not that they weren't sincere. They were. But I just felt I could do more. I found out the cafeteria was closing for a couple of months. I did a fundraiser here before for Cancer Care, and I figured, 'Let's do it again.'"

He says several local companies got involved.

"So, I asked Simplot, and Simplot generously agreed to pay a huge portion of the food cost. Walmart stepped up with a $200 gift card. Mayfair Farms gave me some onions. My former employer Dairi-Wip gave me about $150 worth of supplies. And then we just got her going, with lots of help from Simplot employees. Enns Brothers, we contacted them, and the head of Enns Brothers would take 40 burgers for their employees -- one for everybody -- and he'd pay for everything. If the staff wanted to donate they could, too. Weston's Bakeries generously donated all the buns, and Panko's gave me meat at cost."

Rumpli notes he organized a lunch.

"We're making fatboys, fries and a drink for everyone. And the minimum charge is $7.00, but people are encouraged if they want to donate more. Most have. We're doing over $900 a shift, and we only have 40 or 50 people in a shift. So, we're doing pretty well."

He describes how it feels to help the family out.

"It feels good, I wish I could do more, but it's really all I can do. I just hope he gets better. I heard he's got a long journey ahead of him. I was bedridden for six months with a back injury a couple of years ago. I feel for what he's going through. And I can't even compare it with what he's going through, because it's a thousand times worse. So, everybody should just do what they can."

He says it wasn't long ago he thought of the effort.

"Right around the beginning of December, actually. I got this going really quickly. I've done this for years. I had my own restaurant in Winnipeg for a while. And I worked for Dairi-Wip on Marion there, for years and years and years. So, it didn't take me very long to get it going once I had approval and the money was there."

Simplot employees counting the funds raised at the lunch

Larry Pettinger notes the progress Braden is making.

"My brother, speaking with Rick and his wife Dorothy, Braden's mom and dad, in Winnipeg, notes the statement now seems to be that the muscles that are working are getting stronger. It's a ton of work, but they're getting stronger. Unfortunately the muscles that aren't getting a signal aren't progressing as rapidly. But wrist movement is just there ever so slightly. And that's starting to hold promise that maybe his arms and hands are going to be able to work."