Benefit a success

Three hundred people attended a benefit for local teenager Wyatt Didrickson on Friday night, bringing in $44,509 to support his fight against cancer. 

“It just shows what the Lord does. When you’re prompted to do something and you do it, this is what happens,” organizer Judy Sorensen said. She began putting together the event less than a month ago. 

The fundraiser consisted of a meal, silent and live auction supported by community donations. Two hundred and eighty sloppy joes were served up, along with pie brought over from Greybull High School. Football updates were given in coordination with the auction, covering the Buffs’ last game of the season. 

The silent auction amassed almost 80 entries and the live auction brought in around 59 items up until the last couple hours before the show and even during. 

The last item up for auction was originally a raffle; the Winchester XPR Hunter. Adam Potter had bought 15 tickets for the prize, and told auctioneers that if he won, they should sell it off. When that happened, it brought in an additional $1,000. 

While guns went for big bucks, other top prizes included a pair of Denver Broncos tickets and airfare, which went for about $1,000. In the spirit of the West, a Mel Smucker border collie puppy, an ice fishing trip to Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota and donated swag from NFR bullfighter Dusty Tuckness of Meeteetse and bull rider Clayton Savage of Banner were also on the auction block. GHS junior Sy Schlattmann brought in “Sy’s French Fry basket,” a fry cutter, air fryer and 20 pounds of Horton Farms potatoes. 

“The people that came in, they had so much fun. They had seen people they hadn’t seen in years. Just the fellowship of the whole thing, the meal was fabulous,” Sorensen said. With help from radio advertisements, the event saw participants from as far as Montana. 

Among a series of anonymous donations was a work of metal art featuring Philippians 4:13, inspired by a tattoo Didrickson has. The Bible verse reads, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” The winner of that piece gave it to Didrickson. 

“If I missed a donor because we had so many wonderful items that came into the benefit after the program was done that I didn’t get on the thank you page, I am truly grateful for their items and for the total the Lord blessed this family with,” Sorensen said. 

Didrickson has been receiving treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital for Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that typically affects children and teenagers. Prior to the recent diagnosis, Didrickson was an all-conference football player, 2025 GHS graduate, a cowboy and tradesman. Wyatt’s father, Jan Didrickson, was able to help out with the event’s setup.

“To everyone that worked so hard to make it happen, to everyone that was so beyond generous to donate and buy the auction items; it’s truly amazing the love for Wyatt and for this family,” Jan wrote. “It is so humbling to be on the receiving end of all this love.”

Sorensen had a long list of people to thank, including her right-hand tech gal Kathy Jensen who helped with all the bookkeeping and proofreading. Gina Anderson, Sarah Good, Sherry Williamson, Tammy Yager,  Ron Sorensen, Linda Cooper, Pam Valsek, Lynn and Bill Albers, The Flying E, Big Horse Tires, Lisa Michelena, Julie Hames, Jamie Wamhoff, Dusti Mowery, Jessi Cisneros, Mataia Henderson, Stevi Wamhoff, Brooke Fink, Teresa Collingwood and Nick Boyer were all listed as big helpers, with meat donated by Carla Scharen at CC’s Pizza, Shell Store, Mike and Andrea Laird, Jeff and Sarah Jacobs and Brandi’s Candies. Skillman Brothers provided the music. Sorensen also thanked everyone that helped work the benefit. 

“As our son Wyatt battles this cancer, we are so grateful that God has placed us here in Greybull for such a time as this,” Wyatt’s mother, Jamie Didrickson, added. “What an amazing army God has blessed us with. There are no words that could ever do justice to describe our gratefulness and appreciation for everything that’s been done for us. We love you all, Greybull family!”