Karns City students show support for Martin
With over 79,000 views and 34,000 shares as of Friday, Oct. 13, Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School’s recent lip-dub tribute for injured quarterback Mason Martin is hoping to “spread the word all around the world.”
“We just want to let Mason and his family know that we’re still thinking of them and we’re still praying for them,” said Beth Ackelson, music teacher. “No one fights alone. Nobody fights alone.”
Senior Alexis Kriebel said the video, posted to Facebook on Thursday evening by school photographer Holly Mead, was a concerted effort by high school students and staff to rally around Mason and his family.
“We definitely had a lot of support from all of the students and our teachers,” Alexis said. “Everybody is really rooting for Mason to get back up, because he’s a great person. He’s always been really helpful for anybody who ever needed it.”
Ackelson said the song for the video, “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, was chosen specifically for Mason by Charlie Surman, who is an eighth grade student.
“Mason is in a fight for his life, and they’ve been praying for a miracle for Mason for a long time,” Ackelson said. “That song talks about fighting for your life, taking back your life.”
The high school dedicated an hour of class time to film the video, Ackelson said, but the tribute was the culmination of a multiday effort by volunteers.
“Holly and I walked the path and timed out the music to see how many leaders we needed to have and where to place them,” she said. “Then the day of, we just asked teachers to bring the kids out in the hall and have banners, have confetti, have glitter — whatever they can to make it a big, festive fun event.”
Taylor Ritzert, a seventh grade student, said she hoped Mason knew how appreciated he was and that the students were rooting for him.
“I hope that it spreads joy and hope,” she said, “and that there is going to be a miracle.”
But Alexis said the school’s support for Mason was a larger effort than the tribute alone.
“We’ve also been having a lot of fundraisers to help him and his family,” she said. “We’ve had a couple in school, a couple out of school.”
Fundraising efforts included the sale of bracelets in school, according to Alexis, as well as a number of T-shirt sales by adults outside of school.
And as president for the high school’s drama club, she said the group would be organizing its own fundraiser for Mason this year.
“Half the money that we raise from our season talent show, we’re going to give to the Mason Martin family,” Alexis said.
Additionally, a GoFundMe set up by Amanda Booher to support the Martin family has raised more than $79,000 — nearly $30,000 over its goal.
Alexis said she hoped the community effort ensured Mason got the support he needed.
“I’m hoping that he takes away that everybody in Karns City, all the people in this school and the people around him support him as much as possible,” she said. “As long as he’s happy and healthy, that’s all we’re hoping for.”
Noting Mason’s mother Stacy’s own battle with a challenging case of breast cancer, Ackelson said the tribute and community efforts were a “labor of love.”
“Anything that we can do to try to uplift them, I’m in,” she said.
But the top take-away, according to Ackelson, was that everything is “a group effort.”
“This small community has a huge heart, and when on of us is hurting, we’re all there to support that person,” she said. “That whole-community feeling is strong in Karns City.”
