Wine auction generates over $4k

On Monday, March 28, Jill Hould and Mary Oxarart hosted a wine auction fundraiser benefitting the Ramsey Keller Memorial.

The event was held at Ray J's in Malta; owners Ray and Ann Harms donated the venue space as well as an array of spectacular appetizers and other delectable pairings. Guests were asked to bring two identical bottles of wine per couple/small group. Upon arrival, each bottle was placed into brown paper bags and given a matching number: one for the tasting and the other to be auctioned off in a live auction. Darrell Carney donated his time as auctioneer and he executed his role flawlessly. The event also incorporated several silent auctions items, including a stunning print donated by Clark Marten Photography in Billings. After bidding was closed on each bottle, the bag was removed and the wine brand and varietal was revealed to the winner and the crowd. The event was well attended and 28 sets of wine were sampled and sold to the highest bidder, culminating in a total of $4,348 in donations.

When Ramsey Keller died at the tender age of 2 days old, the foundation in her namesake was born. The Ramsey Keller Memorial has one simple, enduring mission: to pay for infant funerals in the state of Montana. With no administrative or overhead costs, every single dollar that is donated to the Ramsey Keller Memorial goes straight into this mission. To a grieving family, this help can mean the difference between added stress and heartbreak, and the peace that comes from knowing you can lay your precious baby to rest in a way that honors their life. Grieving families don't have to qualify by proving income nor do they have the added burden of filing a stack of paperwork: one needs only to ask and the foundation will provide. The Keller Family simply believes that no family should have to pay to lay their infant to rest. Working in tandem with local funeral homes, they paid over $90,000 to grieving families in 2015. Unfortunately, the pregnancy and infant loss community continues to grow each year and as more hospitals and funeral homes in Montana learn about and utilize the services of the Ramsey Keller Memorial, the need for donations multiplies. To date, the foundation has never turned a family away and they have always paid in full.

This could only ever be achieved by the generosity of donors, by the likes of those who attended the fundraiser in Malta. Phillips County really showed up that night, proving that though we may be pint-sized in population, we are hefty in heart, colossal in compassion, generous in our giving, and fierce in family.

The Ramsey Keller Memorial hosts two large fundraisers throughout the year: the Run for Heavens Sake road race, which will take place on May 15th, and the Pink Tie Affair dinner and auction in the fall. Jill and Mary have put together a team for the race called "One Step Closer for Hannah, Olivia, and Landon," in honor of their own children, gone too soon. This year, there will be a 5K virtual run hosted in Malta as a satellite to the Run for Heavens Sake in Billings. For more information, please visit runsignup.com/onestepcloser. More details about the virtual run will be available soon.