Old Station Brewing Co. to hold fundraiser for local teacher

Tuesday night, Old Station Brewing Co. is holding a fundraiser to help pay for medical expenses for Lincoln-McKinley Primary School teacher Erin Olson.

Olson said she was shocked to learn she was diagnosed with breast cancer back in November and began treatment in December with the Hi-Line Sletten Cancer Center.

She said once the lump was discovered she had to have a lumpectomy to remove it. Then, the doctor’s discovered the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and she had to go back in to have them removed.

“So that took me out (from school) a couple days,” Olson added.

She said she took more time off to have a chemotherapy port put into her body. The port is to help administer the chemo.

Olson said she is doing chemo treatments every two weeks right now and she takes Thursday, Friday and the following Monday off. She added that she has one more treatment scheduled for Thursday before the number of treatments is increased.

“Starting February 7th, I will start chemo every week for 12 weeks,” Olson said.

She added that the treatment will keep her out of the classroom but is hoping to just take Thursday and Friday off and teach Monday through Wednesday.

Olson said once she found out about the cancer, she told Lincoln-McKinley Primary School Principal Holly Bitz and asked if she could be allowed to write a letter to the families of her students explaining her diagnosis and the forthcoming treatment.

“I didn’t feel that me telling (students) what was going on would be appropriate, so I sent a letter to their parents explaining what was going on and everything that has happened and asked them to talk to their students,” she added.

She said before she went in for her first treatment, she told the kids she would be gone for a couple days for treatment and a few of the students understood, showing that their parents had talked to the them about her diagnosis.

“I just explained to them that ‘Mrs. Olson had to get sick before she could get better,’” she added. “That this medicine that they’re going to give me is going to make me sick for a while, but in return, it will help me feel better. And then I did have to explain to them that I would lose my hair. So I’d either be wearing hats or a scarf to cover my head.”

Darla Welch, a friend of Olson’s and an employee at Old Station Brewing Co., said they will start the fundraiser for Olson at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Welch added they will include a barbecue food truck at the brewery from 5 to 8 p.m. and Plowed Under will be playing an acoustic set from 4 to 8 p.m. Silent auction items and raffle items will be available to the public.

A dollar from each pint sold will go toward Olson’s medical expenses, Welch said.

“I know Erin as a co-worker and as a friend, and she is a beautiful person,” she added.

Welch said she is happy to put on events like this for anyone in the community who needs help.

Olson said the support has been amazing from her fellow teachers, students and the whole community.

“My husband and I are very overwhelmed and humbled by all the support,” she added.

Olson said she wanted to thank everyone for the support they have shown her.