The Montrose community is rallying around Rodd Warren, a physical education teacher at Northside Elementary, after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Warren got the news in July, just two weeks before the birth of his third child, a baby girl. His wife, Tori, is also an educator, and teaches music at Cottonwood elementary.
Joelle Recalde, a Northside parent and president of the school's Parent Action Committee, says Warren has made a lasting impression on students, staff, and families. “He's just such a light, and when he walks in the halls, he's like a celebrity," she told us. "He's done such wonderful work with the kids, and everybody loves him, and we all miss him terribly.”
Friends of the Warrens have organized a spaghetti dinner and silent auction this Saturday at Elks Lodge to help cover medical expenses.
Recalde says the community has already shown an outpouring of support, with donations and messages of encouragement coming in. "It just shows what a great community we live in and how much people really care about the Montrose locals and how much they want to show up to support them," she says.
Tickets will be available at the door and at Northside and Cottonwood elementary schools. The fundraiser runs from 5 to 8 p.m. this Saturday at the Elks Lodge in Montrose.
