The Second Annual Jerky Off brings community together to support woman with cancer

The Second Annual Jerky Off brings community together to support woman with cancer

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On Saturday, the Second Annual Jerky Off competition brought together not only a variety of local jerky, but also a community of people looking to support those battling cancer.

“Anything we can do to give people a leg up on cancer or make them help or support them, we do,” said Dennis Thielke, creator of the Jerky Off competition. The competition and cause began in 2024 with a simple conversation.

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“We met the young man last year at a vendor show and he was walking by and I asked him what happened to his leg, and he said he had bone cancer, and I said, “we’re going to do a fundraiser for you.” and I called him a week later and January and jerky just kind of went together,” said Thielke.

This year, the event hits closer to home for Thielke, as it raises money for his own daughter, Alyvia Laber.

“My daughter actually yesterday went through chemotherapy on Rochester for a second round. So, I was going to be with her this weekend and some guys that helped me do this event last year said that they were going to host the event anyway and wanted to donate their money to my daughter,” said Thielke.

The Jerky Off competition gave visitors the chance to vote on their favorite flavors of jerky, while supporting Alyvia’s journey through cancer treatment.

“It’s always just a feeling of gratitude to see how generous people are. A lot of people in here I don’t know, I’ve never seen. People are calling us asking what they can do to help. It’s nice to see there’s some kindness still out there.,” said Thielke.

To donate to Alyvia Laber’s cancer treatment journey, search @Ashley-Theilke on Venmo.