Former MHS Student benefits from fund raiser at McDonald's
Kathy Striffler day was held on March 28, 2016 to raise funds for a local family in need. Kathy was killed in a vehicle accident and her husband and son were both hospitalized. Photos by: McKell Hancock.
Story by: McKell Hancock
The Kathy Striffler Day was at McDonald’s on March 28 from 7 a.m. to midnight and 100 percent of the proceeds went to the a local family in need.
Kathy Striffler and her husband Henry, along with her son, Glenn, were in an accident in Montana. Striffler was killed in the accident and her husband and her son were hospitalized. Glenn was a former student at MHS.
Kathy was a crossing guard at Kennedy Elementary School and has worked different places in the school district for many years.
It was fascinating to see the line of cars pile out of both entryways of the drive thru. Police officers had to help direct traffic through some of the busiest times throughout the day. The line continued to fill the streets throughout the entire evening. The lines going inside the restaurant piled out the doors as well.
Cichos also wants to encourage all of the students at MHS to make those special bonds with everyone they come into contact to with. “I gained a little faith in humanity last night,” she said. “Everyone was given a chance to help.”
“I showed up around like 8 o’clock and there were hundreds of cars in the parking lot. It took us over an hour to go through the drive thru. No one went home, everyone just stayed around and waited in their cars for that hour because we all wanted to support that family,” said Senior Sierra Price.
To serve as many people as they did, they had to call in extra employees to work.
“It was so insane [and] . . . the most hectic thing. They had managers from all of the stores. Managers that didn’t even work at that store, . . . from Idaho Falls stores, [and] from the other store in Rexburg. We set five new records for the amount of sandwiches made in an hour. The most people I had ever seen in a McDonald’s, working there and in the lobby and the drive thru, so many people. They expected a lot of people to come but they didn’t expect as many people. People came from all . . . surrounding counties and all surrounding cities,” said Senior Easton Shaum who works at the McDonald’s store where the fundraiser was held.
Usually some of the proceeds of events like these go to the restaurant, but the owners of the Rexburg McDonald’s, Trent and Karie Cichos, decided to give 100 percent of the proceeds to the family for medical bills and funeral expenses.
Karie Cichos said that thousands of dollars were raised and will most likely be put into a fund for the family to use for their expenses.
“They were so easy to love,” Cichos told the Bobcat Beat. “Kathy would come into Mcdonald’s every morning to get her drink and check on the employees.”
Cichos also said that her son Parker and daughter Taylor had gotten to know Glenn while they were students at MHS. They formed a special friendship with him that has lasted even after graduation.
“Everyone loved Glenn. Anyone who knew him had that same special relationship with him.” Cichos said.
Cichos also wants to encourage all of the students at MHS to make those special bonds with everyone they come into contact to with. “I gained a little faith in humanity last night,” she said. “Everyone was given a chance to help.”
