MARYSVILLE — It was a special night at Marysville-Pilchuck High School Oct. 22.
Not because it was a crosstown-rivalry game between M-P and Marysville Getchell, but because the Marysville community came together for one minute.
The “Miracle Minute” fundraiser was held in support of Karrie Spitzer who passed away from breast cancer three weeks ago. She was only 40.
After the second match of the volleyball game, one minute was put on the score board and in 60 seconds, fans from MG and M-P in the stands emptied their pockets for what they could give in support of Spitzer’s family into buckets past around by the M-P booster club. The fundraiser raised $572.
Spitzer’s family was blown away.
“It was certainly very generous,” Karrie’s father Jerry O’hail said. “Karrie was a very special daughter as all daughters would be.”
She was also a very special mother, Jerry said. She left behind two kids — Mason, who is a freshman at MG and Emily who is senior at M-P.
“She was a very good mother,” Jerry said. “If you knew her kids you’d get a good idea about her mother.”
Karrie’s mother, Carol, was also stunned by the kindness. She had “no words” but was “just blown away by what the school has done,” she said.
“It’s overwhelming I didn’t think anyone would ever do anything like that,” Karrie’s husband Mike added.
M-P volleyball player and sophomore Samantha Lilgreen knew the Spitzers quite well. She played volleyball with Emily when they were little, Mike said.
“It was kind of unanimous,” M-P coach Brittany Fitzmaurice said. “We wanted to donate to a local family and we didn’t know who.”
Samantha knew the Spitzer family “She was really touched and wanted to help anyway she could.”
“We’re very grateful for the generosity that was shown, it’s a good thing,” Ohail said. “Probably most people don’t know her but it was a wonderful thing that was done.”
She was described as a “warrior” and “strong” by her family. She was most remembered for her love for animals and her range of interests such as gardening and being a concrete artist.
“She always excelled at what she did,” Ohail said.
“We’re a team now and we take it day by day,” Mike said.
