{"id":30728,"date":"2026-04-19T16:07:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T21:07:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/?page_id=30728"},"modified":"2026-04-19T16:13:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T21:13:31","slug":"granite-city-shows-its-heart-a-community-rallies-for-one-of-its-own","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/granite-city-shows-its-heart-a-community-rallies-for-one-of-its-own\/","title":{"rendered":"Granite City Shows Its Heart: A Community Rallies for One of Its Own"},"content":{"rendered":"

Granite City Shows Its Heart: A Community Rallies for One of Its Own<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

GraniteCityGossip.com April 19, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Granite City has always been a place where people look out for one another, but this past weekend, that spirit was on full display. A two\u2011day BBQ benefit was held for Julie Burnett Roberts, who is facing Stage 4 Bile Duct Carcinoma, and the turnout was nothing short of remarkable. Friends, family, neighbors, and even supporters from outside the city came together with one purpose: to lift Julie up and help carry the weight of the journey ahead.

Julie\u2019s fight has brought with it a long list of challenges, specialized treatments, out\u2011of\u2011pocket medical costs, travel and lodging to reach MD Anderson in Houston, and the unpredictable hurdles that come with an aggressive diagnosis.

To help ease that burden, a GiveSendGo campaign is active and continues to grow with the help of those who want to stand beside her. But this weekend\u2019s benefit was more than a fundraiser. It was a reminder of who we are.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n

The BBQ event, organized with the help of Mayor Mike Parkinson and Joe Schuler, became a gathering of hearts and hands. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves. Sponsors stepped forward without hesitation. People who had never met Julie showed up simply because they heard someone needed help.

The food was delicious, but it was the compassion behind every plate served that made the event unforgettable.

Granite City has a long history of rising to the occasion when one of its own is hurting. It\u2019s woven into the character of the people who call this place home. We show up. We support. We stand together. And when someone is facing the fight of their life, this community makes sure they never face it alone.

If there was ever any doubt, this weekend proved it again: This is what community looks like. This is what Granite City does best.<\/strong>

For those who wish to support Julie\u2019s ongoing medical journey, the GiveSendGo fundraiser remains open: https:\/\/www.givesendgo.com\/Julieburnettroberts<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-30728","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30728"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30735,"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/30728\/revisions\/30735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/granitecitygossip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}