Community holds fundraiser for local county commissioner’s medical needs

LEXINGTON, Tenn. — Community members have held several fundraisers this year for one county commissioner’s medical needs. The Lexington community is coming together to help support her again.

Monday marked the first day of fundraising efforts at Pepper’s Pantry in Lexington for Henderson County Commissioner Shana Duke, who’s been in the hospital dealing with complications after surgery.

“I just kind of thought well ‘Sno Cones for Shana’ sounded like a good thing,” Pepper’s Pantry owner Kian Tharp said.

Tharp says she’s known Shana and her husband, Henderson County Sheriff Brian Duke, for years.

“I went to church with her. I’ve known her side of the family,” Tharp said. “We’ve been really good friends.”

To help the Duke family with medical and everyday living expenses, Tharp is using portions of her sno cone sales to help with support from the community.

“Anything that I can help for this family, I will try because I love them to death,” Lexington resident Elsie Pearson said.

Charla McComic is a regular at the diner and a teacher at Elite College of Cosmetology, the same cosmetology school Shana attended. She also came to help support the cause.

“They are a great family, and they do need support and prayers and family, and we’re going to do all we can to help them,” McComic said.

Tharp says the fundraiser will be held all week long.

“We just hope that people come out and support them, ’cause they’ll need it,” Tharp said. “I know Lexington’s a community that supports each other.”

For more information about the fundraiser and how you can help support the Duke family, visit the Seen on 7 section of our website.