by Dave Boehler
The Beacon Sports Editor

THE HUBERTY FAMILY (from left to right): Anna, Melissa, Ed and Meta. – Submitted photo

Daniel Heck wanted to create a charity event ever since he started his business in 2019.

So in the spring, the South graduated decided his Danny’s Drywall would host a softball tournament and brat fry to raise money for children with medical needs.

Then Heck came across the Huberty family and not only worked on their basement for free, he wanted their young daughter to be the focus of his new event.

“We were just blown away,” said Melissa Huberty, who graduated from Howards Grove. “We didn’t deserve this and other people deserve this more. … Honestly, I cried for like three days straight. There’s so many people in the world who have it worse. It was clearly God’s plan that we connected. How rare the situation is, and the fact the drywall guy we got ended up seeing our story and having a family member with this die at a young age too. It’s all too connected for it to be not of a higher power’s doing, in my opinion. We’re so thankful. … We’re just very touched. Very blessed.”

The fundraiser will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 28 at Wildwood Baseball Park, and Heck is still looking for two more softball teams and umpires.

WITH THE HELP of girlfriend Ashlynn Robin, Daniel Heck is putting together a fundraiser to help young children on Aug. 28.
– Submitted photo

There will also be a pig roast, dunk tank, bag toss, beer tent, DJ, food trucks, raffles, face painting, a bouncy house and more.

“There’s good souls out there and this is a shining example of how our community comes together,” Huberty said. “I really hope that he gets blessed with the blessings that he’s given to others.”

Huberty’s 4-year-old daughter, Meta, suffered a stroke in February and was flown by Flight for Life to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Doctors determined she was born with AVM (arteriovenous malformation) and is having surgery on Wednesday.

META HUBERTY rests in a hospital bed and is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday after the 4-year-old recently had a stroke. – Submitted photo

“I never knew a 4-year-old could have a stroke until my 4-year-old had a stroke,” Huberty said.

Before this all started, however, Huberty and husband, Ed – another South grad – were already in the process of having their basement redone. The couple was going to use Danny’s Drywall but a friend offered to work on it as a side job to save them some money. He eventually was unable to do it, so Huberty got back to Heck.

Heck had learned about Meta’s ordeal through social media and offered to do the basement work for free and wanted his newly created softball tournament/brat fry to raise money for the family.

Heck lost his little sister right after she was born due to brain complications and has a cousin whose daughter also died young due to them.

So he told Melissa and Ed his offer to do the basement work for free was non-negotiable.

“She’s very grateful and blessed were doing this, but doesn’t want to take anything,” Heck said. “So I said it was non-negotiable so she had to take the basement for free. If she didn’t, we weren’t going to do the work. That was kind of my way of saying ‘hey, this is a deal you can’t pass, so you’ve got to take it.’”

To play in or umpire the tournament, or to make a donation, call Heck at (414) 331-2216.