On Saturday, February 28th, at Pear Park Elementary, Palisade High School junior Reese Blackburn hosted a dodgeball tournament fundraiser to raise money for Wesley Reimer and his family. Wesley was involved in a life-threatening car accident on November 30th, 2025, and was airlifted to the children’s hospital in Salt Lake City for emergency treatment. The event brought together students, friends, and community members for an afternoon of competition and support.
According to Blackburn, “The dodgeball tournament for Wesley Riemer turned out better than expected. We had 7 out of the 8 teams show up, one of which was from Glenwood Springs. We ended up doing a second round of dodgeball because everyone was having fun.” The tournament followed a double-elimination format, allowing teams multiple chances to compete. After several competitive matches, the team Pretty Princesses won the main tournament and finished the day as champions.
In addition to the games, several other fundraising efforts helped raise money for the Reimer family. “We ended up selling snacks, and T-shirts with a bible verse on the back and a cross with ‘Wesley’s Prayer Warriors’ on the front. We also had a live auction going on where people would pay a dollar for every name entry. We had four items that were for auctions and at the end of the tournament we called or texted the winners!” Blackburn said.
By the end of the event, the fundraiser had raised about $2,500, with more donations continuing to come in through additional T-shirt sales. The money will help support the Reimer family with medical bills and travel expenses such as hotels, food, and gas while Wesley continues his recovery.
The event showed the strong sense of community gathered for the Reimers, as students, friends, and community members all came together to support one of their own during a difficult time.
