BROOKFIELD, Wis. — 16-year-old Erik Tiegs knows how lucky he is to be alive after being critically injured during the Waukesha Christmas Parade Tragedy. He also knows how lucky he is to have so many people supporting him.
"It's nice to see everyone and that they want to help," said Erik Tiegs as he sat smiling in a wheelchair.
Sunday evening a fundraising event was organized in Erik's honor at the Embassy Suites in Brookfield as hundreds stepped up to help donate nearly 200 items, raising more than $20,000.
Many of those who stepped up had never met the Tiegs family personally, but they felt compelled to show up.
Rob Dralley had never met the family but when he got the call to help, he managed to gather thousands of dollars worth of fishing equipment and art to auction off. All of the money raised from those items will go towards paying off Erik's medical bills.
Erik's father, Donnie, a Caledonia firefighter, is part of a tight-knit group who enjoys fishing. That community showed up in numbers to not only donate fishing items, but also trips.
"This is all about doing something bigger than fishing. This is about stepping up and helping a family in need," said Scott Wilke, a close family friend to the Tiegs.
The Tiegs family is grateful their community has now evolved into a family.
"It means a lot, especially with what I've been going through, and it just means a lot to me that they support me," said Erik.
"Everyone coming together to show how much someone like him means to the community and how the community can just pull together and be so supportive of us through this time," said Donnie.