UPDATE: WE MET OUR GOAL!

Message from Mark:

At the end of "It's a Wonderful Life," Clarence leaves his copy of Tom Sawyer for George Bailey with the words, "No one is a Failure who has Friends." I was feeling a lot like George Bailey during the last few months, culminating in the bank threatening to foreclose on us. You came through in helping to save our house. Then a big contribution came through, outside of the GiveSendGo effort, one large contribution to bring our mortgage to current. As it stands now, your generosity is beyond what was needed to save the home.  

Some of you went deep into your pockets on behalf of my family, deeper than necessary.  Give Send Go has no "Return Payment" button. Nevertheless, I want to refund your contributions so you can bless someone else like you have blessed me. Please email me at mhaggard208@gmail.com so we can make appropriate arrangements.

Thank you for the role you were willing to play on behalf of my family.

Mark T. Haggard

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Mark has been a beloved colleague and friend for nearly a decade. He sent this message to me and a few other colleagues last night (4 June 2026). We knew that Mark has been supporting his wife Cheryl through a life threating illness. This struggle may cost them their home very soon. Please take a moment to read Mark's message to me and consider helping Mark and his family:

"Hey guys. I spent most of last night in the ER with Cheryl. She fell and dinged herself up a bit. She has low potassium, lethargy, she's lost about forty pounds in the last six months. Then she fell again this morning while I was at work.

We are trying to get out of our house - 2000 square feet not needed for the two of us. We have $150K in equity in our house to use in getting on with our lives. We have a fifth wheel all picked out and a campground to live in. Getting the house ready to sell has taken a long time.

With Cheryl's condition - gramulatosis with polyangitis - she has her weekly infusions and her "chemo" down in the SLC a few times a year. She can't work and because of certain work requirements social security doesn't give her disability. We've lived on my single teaching salary.

Now we want to get out. We got into a program through M&T Bank to modify the terms of our mortgage. Our last payment over the weekend was rejected, so now M&T will begin foreclosure proceedings. We don't know if it will be six months or six days. Now it is a race: can we sell the house before they finalize the foreclosure. If they foreclose, they get to take all of our equity we've worked for.

There is a Plan B: if we can scrape together $9000, we get back to 60-days (late) and they can't foreclose.

This is both humiliating and bold. It's a huge ask and a long shot. Cheryl and I are looking for a group of people to help us get to that number needed to push back foreclosure. Once the house is sold, we will pay the money back from the equity we've worked to hold on to.

Thank you for taking the time to read this long message. I appreciate you guys. Enjoy your summer."