WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, SportsClass of the Week 3/19: Tomorrow River School District

Class of the Week 3/19: Tomorrow River School District

by Natalie Sparacio

AMHERST (WAOW)--  The Tomorrow River School District and entire community of Amherst rallies around a family as they mourn the loss of a beloved man, named Phil Doll.

His wife, Kristi, is a 1st grade teacher at Amherst Elementary. The family has a son who's a Sophomore in High School there, and three other children who graduated from Amherst.

After a 4.5 year battle with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells, Phil Doll, of Amherst, passed away March 9th, at age 51.

To show there support, students hold a T-shirt sale.

Sherry Oleson, a kindergarten teacher, says, "... I had asked the family if they would be interested in doing a shirt for a fundraiser..and the four Doll children got together and designed the shirts... and Joe, one of the son designed the shirts."

Phil was a baseball coach., so it's only fitting to make baseball tees, that say "Phils" on the front, with a number 6 on the back... to represent the number of people in the Doll family.

Oleson says, "... this has been an amazing community, about 6 weeks ago we started selling these shirts...to help benefit the family and help cover some of the costs they incurred and it's just been amazing, we bought 750 shirts and we've sold about 650...so we have about 100 shirt left.. so profit wise we've raised over $4,000 for the family.

That money raised will help the family pay for their mounting medical bills...the tshirt sales have been a success thanks to the International Bank of Amherst,. the grocery store.. and Whitetail Lanes.

Kristi's Doll's 1st graders made a book of sweet sentiments to remind her she has lots of love waiting back for her in the classroom.

Oleson says, "... the whole family has been such an inspiration to this community and brought this community so close together...and the Doll children are an inspiration to the kids in the school."

This is a true example of a community, from the youngsters to the elders, coming together to honor the life of a man that was taken all too soon.

The difference Phil Doll made in the lives of those who knew him, and those who didn't... is un measurable.

The students in Amherst recognize the need to remember one of their teacher's family members, making them this week's Class of the Week.

A Phil Doll family benefit is being held Sunday, April 25th from noon until 6 p.m. at Whitetail Lanes.. in Amherst Junction.

Raffle tickets include dinner and are $30. The cash prizes total $1250.

Children 10 and under are free.

Donations can be sent to:

Phil Doll Benefit

P.O. Box 121

Amherst, WI 54406

c/o Lisa Ligman

Visit www.phildoll.com for more information about the family and to donate online.

For more information on the benefit contact:

Sue Pederson 824-2520

Lisa Ligman  824-5964

If you'd like to nominate students who go above and beyond, whether it's in the classroom or out in the community, email us at news@waow.com.

Winners are announced every Friday morning at 6:30 a.m. on Wake Up Wisconsin.