Eatery Hosts Fundraiser for Kidney Transplant Patient

By [Linda H. Dolan] When her father was placed on a kidney transplant list last summer, Kari Ann Geddes, 24, knew that she had to do something to help. At first, the distance between New York City and her father's home in small-town Perry, Ga., seemed insurmountable. But then the part-time waitress realized that she need look no further for help than Good Enough to Eat, the place that she worked. Known for its comfort food and loyal customers, the beloved Upper West Side eatery seemed the perfect spot to hold a fundraiser to help her family raise money to deal with the transplant. Geddes, who has worked at the restaurant for five years, approached Carrie Levin, Good Enough to Eat's owner, with the idea of raffling off a quilt that her aunt, Patti Finnegan, had made. She agreed to help. "If we can help finance his kidney, that's great," Levin said. Although insurance will pay for the kidney transplant, Geddes' father, Sandy Geddes, is one of many patients affected by the Medicare "donut hole" or coverage gap. The immunosuppressive drugs he will need after the transplant will cost anywhere from $20,600 to $32,900 a year. Under the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, Geddes will have to pay the $4,550 a year that falls into the Medicare coverage gap, in addition to co-payments on remaining costs. In order to receive a transplant, Geddes must prove that he has money to cover post-transplant expenses for one year while he recovers from surgery. He's already held two fundraisers in Georgia. Good Enough to Eat is helping Geddes by raffling off the quilt, which is appraised at more than $1,400. Raffle tickets are one for $5 and three for $10. The Georgia Transplant Foundation will match proceeds, up to $10,000. The drawing will take place Dec. 13. To promote the raffle, Geddes designed cards to accompany each customer's bill and posters to hang on the restaurant walls. Geddes said it was Lester Miyashiro, a Good Enough To Eat employee who has decorated the restaurant for 19 years, who made sure that the announcements would stand out. "I went through three posters because he was like, 'No, it needs to be bigger. No, it needs to be bigger,'" she said. With its rich colors and intricate stitching, the quilt now adorns one of the walls of the restaurant. Geddes' personal goal is to raise $2,000. "It's been amazing," she said. "Every day there have been tickets sold." Many customers recognize Geddes' picture on the posters and come up to her to relate their own experiences with family kidney donation, she said. "You'd be surprised how many people have a connection with it," said Geddes. One customer was so touched by her story that he donated $100. Levin expected a bigger response for the drawing and hopes more customers will contribute in the remaining week for the charitable cause. "I thought all our customers would give something," Levin said. "Maybe people had to get out of thinking about Thanksgiving."