Teddy and Fran’s story
To say Teddy and Fran Ridenhour are involved in their community is an understatement. They’ve always been there when their Hulbert, Oklahoma, neighbors needed help – from raising a barn to raising money.
No surprise, the fraternal side of Modern Woodmen is what attracted them to the organization more than a decade ago. They’ve been involved in dozens of Modern Woodmen fundraisers and other volunteer projects since then.
What goes around comes around
On June 2, 2012, Teddy was riding his horse while working at the Tahlequah stockyard when the horse bucked him off. The impact swelled his spinal cord and cracked a bone in his neck. After 105 days in the hospital, Teddy returned home in a wheelchair facing years of intense therapy.
Some of the same people the Ridenhours helped in the past reciprocated. With the aid of Modern Woodmen representative Rob Dickinson and the local Modern Woodmen chapter, the community held another fundraiser – this time to benefit Teddy.
More than 1,200 friends, neighbors and complete strangers attended the dinner and auction. At one time, the line out the door was more than 200 feet long, despite the rain and 100-degree heat. In all, they raised more than $85,000, including a $2,500 match through Modern Woodmen’s Matching Fund Program.
“I was floored,” says Fran. “I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to do this for us.”
Hear more from Fran and Teddy above.
I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to do this for us.
Teddy and Fran’s representative
