The community came out in a big way on Saturday evening to support the Vanden Berg family.

A benefit for John and Susan Vanden Berg and their son, Kaden, raised more than $60,000.

Baby Kaden is currently in the newborn intensive care unit at Mott’s Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich. 

He was born on Sept. 27 with several complications. The family is waiting for a spring heart surgery that begins Kaden’s path to coming home.

Saturday night John was at the benefit to welcome the many guests and show off his son using a webcam set up in the hospital room.

Charla Sandbulte helped organize the event and was overwhelmed by the results.

“‘Thanks’ seems to be such a small word for all the workers that put in their time, all the people that made the donations, all the people that were there to do the bidding,” she said.

 “All the planning can be done but without each of you helping we never would have raised what we did tonight.”

The amount raised was three times the goal Sandbulte had set for the benefit.

There were 178 items on the silent auction and 140 on the live auction.

The Blue Ribbon 4-H Club helped serve and clean up after more than 600 hungry guests.

Sandbulte credits these kids, along with the two grandchildren and three great-nephews, with helping make the night a fun event for everyone.