Calvary Baptist Church in Radford is hosting a fundraiser Saturday to help the family of recently deceased Jessica McCroskey, who lost an almost four-year battle with cancer April 21. Pictured is Jessica with her children (from left) Chelsey, Issac and Summer shortly before her death.
RADFORD—Calvary Baptist Church at 624 6th Street in Radford, Virginia is hosting a fundraiser/gospel concert from 1-4 p.m. Saturday.
The proceeds will help with the remaining funeral expenses for Jessica McCroskey, 30, who passed away from cancer on April 21 and with the needs of her young children.
Jessica grew up in Christiansburg and attended Auburn High School. She was 27 when she began battling cancer and recently received news that her cancer had returned and she would probably not see her 31st birthday in December.
She is survived by her husband Joe and their three precious children: Chelsey, 11; Summer, 7 and Isaac, 3. Her parents are Joe and Melissa Cunningham of Christiansburg.
Her grandparents are Reece and Geneva McPeak of Indian Valley, and Paula and the late Pastor M.D. Saunders of Blacksburg. Her brother is Andrew McPeak of Christiansburg and great grandparents are Orland and the late Leora Phillips of Willis.
There will be a gospel singing beginning at 1 p.m. featuring singers from Calvary Baptist Church, Gospel Light Baptist Church, and Daniel and Grace Davis.
Jessica’s grandmother, Geneva McPeak and the “quilting cousins” have been making quilts to donate for fundraisers for the past few years, so when they received the news that Jessica’s cancer had returned, they decided to make a quilt to be raffled off to help with her medical expenses.
The proceeds will be used for the remaining funeral costs as well as for the needs of her young children. The “quilting cousins” include Geneva McPeak, her sisters Mary Hodge, Nora Bentley and Paulette Gardner, and cousins Ruth Derflinger, Teresa Paisley, Pam Linkous and Barbara Reynolds. They have been gathering once a month at their various homes throughout the New River Valley and Salem areas to make projects such as turbans that are donated to the Blue Ridge Cancer Center and quilts for Relay for Life, Cancer Kids and Christmas, a Floyd County High School memorial scholarship, a liver transplant patient, a Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma teenager’s bone marrow transplant and a young man who needs training for his service dog.
The beige nine-patch queen/king sized quilt will be raffled off at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the fundraiser or by contacting Geneva McPeak at 789-4398 or Barbara Reynolds at 312-5780.
Jessica’s 98 year old great-grandfather, Orland Phillips from Willis, made a beautiful jewelry box out of exotic purpleheart wood and buckeye which will be placed in a silent auction.
Mr. Phillips cuts each small piece by hand and incorporates it into a beautiful herringbone pattern. Other items such as a quilted wall hanging donated by Schoolhouse Fabrics, bracelets from AmRhein’s Jewelers in Salem, Tupperware products, a Princess House biscuit jar, Orvis gift cards, and much more will be available through the silent auction. Refreshments such as hotdogs, drinks, and baked goods will be available for purchase in the church gym.
Please come out and support this wonderful, young family. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated.
— Submitted by Barbara Reynolds