Overwhelming, insane support

Logan Nesset was injured Sunday, July 17 in a diving accident, fracturing his C5 and C6 vertebrae. Since being hospitalized, he’s been going through therapy and rehabilitation for his injury.

To help Nesset pay his bills and purchase specialized equipment, the Janesville community and many businesses banded together and organized a benefit Sunday, November 6 at the Trinity Lutheran School Gym.

There were many ways to support Nesset’s recovery, from purchasing a pulled pork lunch to donating “grain” in a miniature wagon at the corner of the gym. Auction items lined three of the gym’s four walls, with prizes including gift cards, tickets to the Vikings-Jets game, a fishing rod set, and paintings.

Becky Gahler, event organizer, spent about six weeks in preparation. Donations from nine area businesses helped make the benefit possible: Wiste’s Meat Market and Brew’d Awakenings from Janesville; Kwik Trip and Hy-Vee in Mankato; Neighbor’s Meat Market of New Richland; Mrs. Gerry’s in Albert Lea; Thrivent of Waseca; Backyard Bar and Grill out of Pemberton; and several other individuals who baked cookies and bars.

“They helped donate enough so we didn’t have to pay for the food,” Gahler said. “We are very grateful to them for helping us.”

Many more businesses and individuals contributed to the silent auction. “It’s been overwhelming, in a good way,” she said. “Talking with Logan’s mother and a couple of his sisters, they expressed the same thing. They’re just overwhelmed by all this support, and they’re appreciative of it.”

The plan was to serve meals to about 500 people. As soon as the benefit began at 10 a.m., there were already people filling up the tables in the gym.

Logan Nesset and his fiance, Jadyn Nelson-Spies, were busy all morning talking to friends and family. “I’m feeling good,” Nesset said.

It’s admittedly been a long road to recover for Nesset. “I feel like a child sometimes,” he joked. “I’ve been getting lots of care, and it’s been pretty hard.”

But the support he received on Sunday made things a whole lot better for him. He called the amount of support he’s received “amazing.” 

“With the GoFundMe and everything, it’s been crazy,” he explained. “You don’t realize how many people are there for you until you see all that support.”

Nothing will come easy for Nesset in the short term, but the hundreds of people who showed up for the benefit will make the road to recovery from his diving accident a little easier to travel. “I just have to keep going through therapy and that’s about it,” he concluded.

His fiance Nelson-Spies matched Gahler’s description of the community’s generosity and comfort. “It’s been overwhelming,” she says. “We couldn’t do it without the support we’ve gotten from everybody.”