Annual report highlight: Cultivating community generosity
June 20, 2014The Houghtaling Family
Paul Houghtaling and his family had just moved back to Fremont when Jason, his 12-year-old son, was diagnosed with cancer. “I was so thankful we came back when we did,” said Paul. “We were home.”
The community rallied around the family throughout Jason’s illness and after his death two years later. At Jason’s funeral, Paul’s brother spoke of the community’s kindness: “This is what little towns do,” he observed.
After Jason’s funeral, a group of family friends asked how they could help. Paul recalled the promise he had made to Jason to dedicate his life to fighting cancer. Paul told his friends he wanted to raise money for research, so they began to fundraise.
The money from those fundraisers—born out of a father’s promise and a community’s generosity—was used to establish the Jason Houghtaling Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation. It continues to keep Jason’s memory alive by funding research and supporting local families of children facing life-threatening illnesses.
