Mammoth Assembly raises money for Scarlett in offering challenge
Darian Clayton smashes a pie in Kyle Clayton’s face after the girls won the offering challenge at the Mammoth Assembly of God Vacation Bible School. All the funds raised during the offering challenge were donated to Scarlett Hall, a former Gainesville student who was seriously injured in a creek culvert accident June 19. After spending more than two months at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, she is currently receiving treatment at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
Mammoth Assembly of God Church hosted a boys versus girls challenge at its Vacation Bible School this year, raising funds for Scarlett Hall and her family.
“Every year we do an offering at VBS, and we have a mission project. This year we chose Scarlett because it’s been a huge thing in our community, impacting a lot of people here and, of course, her family has been in our prayers. We talked to our Pastor Ron Felker, and he agreed. So, VBS was Sunday night through Wednesday night. We took up offering every night, and we’d announce the totals of the girls offering and the boys offering. If the girls raised more than the boys at the end of VBS, Kyle [Clayton] would get a pie in the face. If the boys raised more than the girls, Darian [Clayton] would get a pie in the face,” Emory Warden told the Times.
At the end of the Vacation Bible School, the girls had raised more money, so Darian got to smash a pie in her husband’s face - and the kids loved it, Emory said. All proceeds from the offering challenge were donated to Scarlett and her family.
Scarlett Hall is a former Gainesville student, now in the fifth grade, who was injured after being swept into and trapped underwater in a creek bridge culvert in Douglas County on June 19. A responding officer was also swept into the culvert, and after he was also swept into the culvert during the rescue attempt, his body weight broke free the log jam that had pinned Scarlett inside. The officer was uninjured, but Scarlett was flown by helicopter ambulance to an area hospital. Soon after, she was transferred to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where she has been receiving treatment for the last two months until last Friday, Aug. 22, when she was transferred to Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital.
Her family is posting daily updates on the “Scarlett Strong” Facebook page.
This week Scarlett has undergone several evaluations at the new hospital, and she’s been able to be dressed in regular clothing for the first time since the accident. The staff at Ranken Jordan have also been taking her outside more often and have her sitting in a chair for longer periods of time.
Her parents ask for prayers that she has increased awareness and wakefulness as her medications are weaned and that she have complete healing in her brain.
Scarlett’s dad, Clint Hall, served as Gainesville High School Principal from 2021-23, and her mom, Shelby, is a popular area photographer. Clint is now the superintendent at Mansfield School District, where Scarlett now attends.