By Judy Seifert (Contact / Staff Bio)
October 24, 2009 - 08:49 a.m. EST

MAYVILLE — The small community of Mayville is coming together to help the family of Brad Corl. Corl, 38, died Oct. 16 from injuries he sustained in an vehicle/train collision Sept. 29.

“That’s what is so great about small towns, people just immediately pitch in to help any way they can,” said Roxann Hiiter.

Hiiter and others are organizing a dinner to help raise money for the Corl family, and a Family Discretionary Fund has been set up through the Avram Funeral Home in Mayville.

An employee of Hopp’s Lumber for 17 years, Corl was injured when the truck he was driving rolled into a train crossing at Lobdell Road just north of Saginaw Road. He was taken to Covenant Health Care of Saginaw where he died last Friday.

A 1990 graduate of Caro High School, Corl married Kimberly Wingert in 2004. The couple have five-month-old twins.

“That’s what makes this whole thing so heart-breaking,” Hiiter added. “The family is going to need a lot of support right now so this community will do whatever it takes.”

A soup and sandwich fund-raiser was held Friday night at the Silverwood Methodist Church. Money raised from the upcoming spaghetti dinner scheduled from 3-6 p.m., Oct. 31, at the Mayville Elementary School on Orchard Road will also go to the family.

Al Avram, owner of Avram Funeral Home, said anyone wishing to help can send a check to Avram Funeral Home, P.O. Box 130, Mayville, MI. Checks should be payable to Kimberly Corl.

The spaghetti dinner will cost $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 12 and under. Children under the age of five are admitted free. Free will donations will also be accepted. The dinner is all-you-can-eat and includes salads, bread sticks and desserts.

Drawings and raffles will take place during the fund-raiser, as well as a silent auction and a Chinese auction.

“We’re pulling out all the stops for this one,” Hiiter said. “People have been calling and asking what they can do to help. We’re not saying no to anyone.”

Because the dinner takes place on Halloween, children are free to come in costume and get their picture taken.

For additonal information, visit www.avramfuneralhome.com or call Hiiter at (989) 823-5813.