(La Porte County, IN) - Dinners will be available to purchase as a fund raiser for the family of a New Prairie High School student badly hurt in a school bus crash in May.

 

The dinners consisting of pulled pork, potatoes, carrots, coleslaw and a roll will be available for pick-up only at New Prairie High School on July 27th.  Farmer Jeff Baltes said the suggested donation for each dinner is $15.

 

The pork will come from a hog or two Baltes and a few of his friends will be roasting.  The rest of the food will also be donated.

 

Baltes said the idea to help the family financially came after learning that student, Lucas Bradshaw, was transferred from Memorial Hospital in South Bend to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 

“Every little bit helps,” he said.

 

Baltes said the dinners will be available for pick-up from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. to people who paid in advance for their meals.  Any remaining dinners will be handed out to people showing up from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Bradshaw, who will be a junior in the fall, remains at the facility in Michigan where he’s been for the last five weeks.  According to the latest posted update by his family, Bradshaw awake now from a coma is speaking at times in a whisper.

 

Lucas was given a motorized wheelchair recently for him to operate and wrote a list of goals he wants to achieve in the next 12 months.  According to his family, he’s also enjoying the cards and letters he’s been receiving from well-wishers.

 

The family also revealed they are cautiously optimistic now about his recovery due to the progress he’s been making slowly, but gradually.

 

“His baby steps are starting to add up,” the family said.

 

Bradshaw was the most seriously injured passenger in the crash resulting from a box truck striking a school mini-bus on U.S. 20 at Fail Road outside La Porte.

 

Shawn Akison, 41, of Romeoville, Illinois is facing charges of criminal recklessness for allegedly causing the crash.