Holiday fundraiser to celebrate life of Liz Granlund Hacker A holiday fundraiser celebrating the life of Liz Granlund Hacker will be held Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Suite 49 Restaurant, 2950 10th Ave. N. Featuring a silent art auction, live musical entertainment by Jazz on Tap, and special holiday hors d'oeuvres, this fundraiser will help defray Liz's medical expenses. She married Nick Hacker on Aug. 12, 2006, and passed away on Nov. 14, due to the complications of a rare blood disorder, Epstein-Barr related Hemophagocytic Lymphohisticytosis (HLH). Nearly 50 artists have donated artwork for the silent art auction; several pieces will be raffled, and snowman raffle tickets will be sold. The snowman is a seven-foot-tall, three-dimensional whimsical holiday creation donated by Walhalla sculptor Kenny Tetrault. It features over 1,000 lights; the drawing will be held at 9 p.m. Chelsey Tetrault, the artist's daughter and a childhood friend of Liz's, will draw the winning name. LizStrong T-shirts and other items will be sold to help raise funds for Liz's family. The pink T-shirts (Liz's favorite color) feature "LizStrong" on the front and "Walk in Faith . . . Not in Fear" on the back. They were designed by Danielle Mark of Grand Forks, a friend of Liz's and one of the art auction coordinators. A social hour will be held from 5 to 6 p.m., and the silent art auction will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.; guests may sign up for their anonymous bidding numbers upon their arrival at Suite 49. The admission fee will be a free will offering. Individual or corporate donations may also be mailed to: The Liz Hacker Foundation, c/o The Farmers and Merchants State Bank, 816 Third Street, Langdon, ND 58249. For more information, please contact Danielle Mark at danielle.mark@hotmail.com, phone (651) 338-6945, or Sally Opp at sally.opp@und.edu, phone (701)740-7026. -- Darlene Holien, catering.