Community Helps Columbus with Medical Costs

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Columbus, Miss. (WCBI) — The American Legion hosted it’s second annual Barbeque and Jam Sunday.

But this year’s event was a bit different.

All the money raised through barbeque dishes and a silent auction went towards the medical costs of Melissa Tubbs.

Tubbs is in need of a kidney transplant and she’s already overcame kidney failure and open heart surgery.

There was a large number of people in and out of the place who came to support what one local said was “the most loved woman in the building.”

“[The community support] makes it incredibly easy, believe it or not…”, said Tubbs, “…I’ve always had a hard time accepting help from others being independent-minded, and I decided when we were faced with the heart surgery recently that I was not gonna be that way about it.”

Melissa and her husband, Shane, actually hosted the event at their home last year.

When event organizers got together to discuss this year’s plans, the needed a much bigger room.

“I thought about it on the way here today, it’s a benefit, but all we need is our friends…”, said Shane Tubbs, “…we’ve got a lot of our friends here, a lot of people who really just know us but it’s a great community, man, and we’re really blessed to have all our buddies.”

“This is our adopted family and its almost overwhelming, you know, the outpouring of support we’ve got and they’ve shown today for sure”, Melissa said about those who came out to support.

One of the organizers of the Barbeque and Jam event says they raised approximately $2,500 dollars.