By Patric Hedlund

Mountain neighbors have been setting up benefits to assist Megan McGinley, who was shot in the right eye by a stranger while leaving the Walmart parking lot in Santa Clarita on May 17.

Café Silva Bella owners Tino and Carrie Noguera gave 10% of their revenues last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to the fund set up by McGinley’s family. “That is what this mountain is about,” Carrie said, “helping each other out.”

On June 22 at 1 p.m. a barbecue party will be held in the patio area in front of Madd Bailey’s and Mommy’s Roadhouse in Pine Mountain Village. That event will give 30% of all ticket sale proceeds to McGinley’s fund.

Knucklehead will be presenting the benefit. The acoustic band Bottoms Up will perform also. Wade Cadwallader will be doing the “beatbox.’ Wade and Jerry Posin (drummer from Steppenwolf) will be having a “drum off.”

McGinley has been recovering in Los Angeles. Because a gas used to inflate the injured eyeball would expand if she returned home to our elevation, surgeons said she needed to stay near sea level while receiving treatments, friends report.

The avid photographer is reported to have had only 20% vision in her left eye, but used her right eye to take pictures. Physicians said it is unlikely she will regain vision in her right eye after this injury. They are working to save the eyeball itself.

Megan’s sister Jessica Rico says she and her siblings grew up in the Mountain Communities. They all graduated from Frazier Mountain High School. McGinley had been living in the Pine Mountain community, working at the Pine Mountain General Store.

Rico set up GoFundMe.com/9DPYB0 for those who wish to assist her sister.

This is part of the June 13, 2014 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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