[January 29, 2013]    

Under a full moon on a cold Saturday evening, there was a tremendous outpouring of support from countless numbers of families and individuals from Mount Pulaski and the surrounding cities and towns who flocked to the annual soup supper and silent auction sponsored by the Mount Pulaski-Chestnut-Latham United Methodist Church. The event this year was at the Mount Pulaski American Legion Hall due to an expected overflow crowd. They all wanted to do their part in helping the Phillips family cope with their severe medical bills incurred for infant Annabelle Marie Phillips, who recently died due to an incurable brain tumor that had wrapped itself around her brain stem at birth -- a "1 in 3 million occurrence," said maternal great-grandfather Larry Conaway Sr., as he, along with Donald Sharpe, were dipping out bowls after bowls of steaming-hot servings of homemade vegetable soup and chili. Annabelle, the infant daughter of Darin and Amy Lyne Conaway Phillips, grabbed the hearts of thousands through Facebook and Twitter pages, in newspapers, and online media such as Lincoln Daily News.

Text and pictures by Phil Bertoni