Raasch overwhelmed by support shown at Friday night’s benefit

Becky Raasch is a self-described private person, but she says the standing ovation she received when she walked into the Nodaway Valley gymnasium Friday night was both “overwhelming” and “humbling.”

The setting was a benefit that was held at the school for her. The seventh and eighth grade reading teacher has been out all school year due to a battle she’s fighting with cancer.

The standing ovation and her entry into the gym came just before a “Pie in the Face” competition where teachers from the middle school in Fontanelle raised money to be pied in the face. There were many other aspects on top of the “Pie in the Face” during the evening that was organized by Denise Speer, Amy DeVault, and a large gathering of student groups and school staff.

It’s no surprise that it seems everyone loves Raasch, she’s been teaching for over 30 years. She began teaching in Bridgewater, near to where she and her husband, Don, now live. After several years, she transfered to the middle school in Fontanelle. She described Saturday in a phone interview that each of her years in the classroom “have been as good as the others” and that she’s been “very lucky.”

Raasch conceded that this year has been tough. It’s been one of the first in a long time that she hasn’t been in the classroom. At the close of last year, her journey to fight cancer began. It began in her throat, mouth and neck and has since spread to other areas, like her hip.

“I had radiation and chemo on the areas that were most affected, then I found out some of the cancer had traveled from there,” Raasch said. “Now I’m doing radiation and chemo again to try to slow things down and target some of the areas in the bone or to stop them so they don’t move around anymore. We just don’t know at this point.”

It’s safe to say that what Raasch does know from Friday evening is something that she probably already knew — she has an entire community of three towns behind her for support.

The benefit held for her included a baked potato bar, silent auction, bags, bingo, and a showing of the movie “Wonder.” The turnout for the evening full of activities was quite large. Middle school teachers were the victims of “Pie in the Face.” Raising the most money and getting pied in the face three times was social studies instructor Jeff Fahrenkrug.

“As you can tell from Friday night, we have tremendous kids in our community. All of them, all of them. I’m very lucky. It’s always been my goal to get to know each student as an individual and for them to be able to, despite their differences, work together. I could go on a soapbox on this all the time because the kids are what make your teaching so valued. Your co-workers and all of that, absolutely, but you want to teach for the kids. It’s been really hard for me this year to not be able to be there. That was one of the hardest things besides the cancer part.”

Raasch said the school administration, from Superintendent Dr. Casey Berlau to principals Lanny Kliefoth and Michael Dale, has been very supportive of her taking the time she needs during this season of life.

“I have felt so supported by all of those people, by our staff. And as you can see Friday night, I just feel a tremendous amount of support,” Raasch said. “[Coming around the corner into the gym to a standing ovation], I wasn’t expecting that. Walking around that corner was overwhelming. It was awesome.”