Spaghetti dinner to benefit Keris Riebel

NEVADA, Ohio — A Facebook page dedicated to supporting a community through a recent tragedy has kickstarted a fundraiser to support a mourning family build a memorial for Keris Riebel, the 22-year-old store clerk who was murdered on New Year's Day. Keris Riebel (nee Dilgard) was working a shift at the Upper Sandusky Dollar Tree when Bethel M. Bekele allegedly entered the store with a machete and attacked her. Keris is a 2019 graduate of Wynford High School and was active in cheerleading. She continued her education at Franklin University where she earned her bachelors degree in human resources before marrying her soulmate, Jordan Riebel, in October. The Kind Like Keris Facebook page started as a way for the town Keris grew up in and the surrounding communities to deal with the horrific incident, Brenda Sand, the page's creator, said. She also started selling hats, t-shirts, stickers, tumblers and more with profits going towards placing a bench dedicated to Keris in downtown Nevada. "I started a fundraiser to just show love and support to her family," Sand said. "It pretty much exploded overnight and has become a movement that is affecting people all over the world." While a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs, lost wages and grief counseling set up by Jordan's family surpassed their $30,000 goal, the Dilgard family said the fundraiser was started by people who live in the community and wanted to honor Keris. They said the funds will be used to build a memorial in Nevada and create scholarships in Keris' name. Many small businesses, including Print Happy Ohio, are selling items with the Kind Like Keris logo to donate proceeds to the fundraiser. Local businesses also contributed towards a silent auction, which occurred on Saturday, Jan. 13. A spaghetti fundraiser will also be hosted at the Forest VFW, 204 W. Lima St., on Saturday, Feb. 11 and 100% of the proceeds will go towards the memorial fund. The Kind Like Keris Spaghetti Fundraiser starts at 2 p.m. and will include a 50/50 raffle, bake sale, silent auction and a gun raffle. Live music featuring Fender Bender will also be available during the event. Meal tickets are available for pre-sale at $12 and served from 4-7 p.m. for dine-in and carry out.