RICHVILLE, MI — The Detroit Red Wings, Eminem and Ted Nugent are among those who have donated items to be auctioned off Sunday during a spaghetti dinner at the Richville American Legion Post to raise funds for the Mills Family Fund.
The Richville post, 9890 Sanilac, and the Yellow Ribbon Guard are hosting the event from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 27.
Travis Mills, 25, lost parts of his arms and legs in an explosion April 10 while on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He is a 2005 Vassar High School graduate.
Judy Adams of the Richville American Legion said that former Lions have donated helmets and Gary Sinise gave an autographed photo.
"It's just incredible. I still have people calling me to tell me they have things to donate for the auctions," Adams said.
The True Value Hardware Store in Vassar donated a Webber grill worth $600. Granite sinks, necklaces and watches have been donated by various stores as well.
Local craftsman have designed pieces of furniture for the event, Adams said.
"One of the coolest things we have, in my opinion, is a hand-crafted stainless steel sculpture of an eagle flying. It's beautiful. One of Travis' friends and his dad made it," Adams said.
Zehnder's Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark in Frankenmuth gave a one-night stay for four people in the dragonfly room, four tickets to Splash Village, four dinner tickets and complimentary breakfast.
The Bavarian Inn Lodge and Restaurant in Frankenmuth donated a night in their whirlpool suite and dinner tickets for up to four people.
"We've really had a major response from everyone. They all want to help," said Adams.
Other items include golf outings, quilts, cigars, luggage sets and T-shirts.
"We're even going to have stuff for kids, like stuffed animals, so they can get their tickets and pick things out. We want everyone involved."
The silent auction will begin at 2 p.m. and the live auction at 4 p.m.
Jim Kramer from radio station 98.1 WKCQ-FM will be hosting the live auction.
The suggested donation for the event is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Mills' brother, Zachary, and sister-in-law, Kassandra Mills, visited him at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center a few weeks ago. Kassandra Mills said it's inspiring to see how upbeat he has been throughout the last six weeks.
"It's so crazy to see how happy he can be with everything that has happened," she said.
Mills' wife, Kelsey, posted a video of her husband on Facebook earlier this week. In the video, he shows that he can roll and sit up on his own — things he couldn't do a few weeks ago.
Kelsey Mills calls him her hero and an inspiration.
On Sunday, crowds gathered at Vassar High School for a benefit baseball game. The teams wore uniforms with Mills' name on the back.
Other fundraisers throughout the country have raised thousands of dollars for Mills and his family.
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