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Some say it’s a benefit while others like to refer to it as a party. Whatever it’s called, Noreen Sperl has it coming, say friends.
For the past two-and-a-half years, Sperl has been battling cancer that has spread from her rectum to her lungs. She told friends she could manage without aid of a benefit but they – as friends will sometimes do, particularly when they feel otherwise – insisted.
“We know it’s hard to be a single mother and she’s always been the type of person who goes above and beyond for others,” said one of a number of the event’s organizers, Karen Mills. “She’s a hard worker that’s always on the go, very responsible and a very, very good mother.”
In other words, her friends feel its time for Sperl’s good works to come full circle, and are hoping the “Livin’ Out Loud for Noreen Sperl” fundraiser will bring her that which is due.
The 47-year-old, Sperl, moved from Redwood Falls to Granite Falls in 1997 and is the single parent of Yellow Medicine East eighth grader Johnny Steenson and 26-year-old Coon Rapids resident Amanda Mahoney.
A vibrant, outgoing figure, if you met Sperl on the street you would never guess that with such energy and positivity she could possibly be dealing with such an ailment.
The fact that she has continued to work throughout her two-plus years of treatment only reinforces this sort of disbelief. Presently, Sperl serves as manager of Jake’s Pizza.
Asked how she is able to continue her labors in spite of the cancer and its exhaustive treatments, she doesn’t hesitate when attributing her drive to her desire to ensure the optimal well-being of her son.
“I decided I wasn’t going to be sick, and that’s just the way it is,” she said with an air of defiance. “It’s all in your mind.”
With such a mindset, Sperl has typically been rock solid through it all, but during those rare times when she does waver she says she has been lucky to have had her friends. Offering tangible assistance like a car ride or the moral support needed to get her through another round of chemo and radiation, they have been essential, she said.
After receiving previous medical care in Willmar, Sperl is now getting set to undergo treatment at a Sioux Falls, South Dakota hospital. The “Livin’ Out Loud” fundraiser will help her defer ongoing expenses.
Some say it’s a benefit while others like to refer to it as a party. Whatever it’s called, Noreen Sperl has it coming, say friends.
For the past two-and-a-half years, Sperl has been battling cancer that has spread from her rectum to her lungs. She told friends she could manage without aid of a benefit but they – as friends will sometimes do, particularly when they feel otherwise – insisted.
“We know it’s hard to be a single mother and she’s always been the type of person who goes above and beyond for others,” said one of a number of the event’s organizers, Karen Mills. “She’s a hard worker that’s always on the go, very responsible and a very, very good mother.”
In other words, her friends feel its time for Sperl’s good works to come full circle, and are hoping the “Livin’ Out Loud for Noreen Sperl” fundraiser will bring her that which is due.
The 47-year-old, Sperl, moved from Redwood Falls to Granite Falls in 1997 and is the single parent of Yellow Medicine East eighth grader Johnny Steenson and 26-year-old Coon Rapids resident Amanda Mahoney.
A vibrant, outgoing figure, if you met Sperl on the street you would never guess that with such energy and positivity she could possibly be dealing with such an ailment.
The fact that she has continued to work throughout her two-plus years of treatment only reinforces this sort of disbelief. Presently, Sperl serves as manager of Jake’s Pizza.
Asked how she is able to continue her labors in spite of the cancer and its exhaustive treatments, she doesn’t hesitate when attributing her drive to her desire to ensure the optimal well-being of her son.
“I decided I wasn’t going to be sick, and that’s just the way it is,” she said with an air of defiance. “It’s all in your mind.”
With such a mindset, Sperl has typically been rock solid through it all, but during those rare times when she does waver she says she has been lucky to have had her friends. Offering tangible assistance like a car ride or the moral support needed to get her through another round of chemo and radiation, they have been essential, she said.
After receiving previous medical care in Willmar, Sperl is now getting set to undergo treatment at a Sioux Falls, South Dakota hospital. The “Livin’ Out Loud” fundraiser will help her defer ongoing expenses.
Party/benefit specifics
The event is being hosted by Jake’s Pizza in Granite Falls beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 24 and will run well into the evening. Featuring a Straight 8 (gentlemen’s rules) pool tournament, the day will also include games, drawings and a number of foods and refreshments, of which all proceeds will go to Sperl.
The pool tournament begins at 11:00 a.m. and requires an entry fee of $20 with an 80 percent payback. Individuals can pre-register at Jake’s. There is a limit of 32 contestants.
Food for sale will include indian tacos as well as “eat-in” or “take and bake” pizzas with cheese substitutes available. For delivery dial 320-564-4385.
Those wishing to make monetary donations can send cash or checks to Citizens Alliance Bank, PO Box 68, Granite Falls, MN 56241. Checks should be made out to: Livin’ Out Loud.
