Efforts to honor the memory of Rebecca Rauber in the days since her passing continued at a local establishment Wednesday.
10 West Grill + Dive Bar hosted a Spaghetti dinner fundraiser with all proceeds to be dedicated to Rauber’s family for funeral expenses and to support causes close to Rauber’s heart. Rauber was reported missing in the early morning hours of Saturday after she left Town Royal in the 400 block of Commercial Street around 11:30 pm Friday. Search efforts from local authorities and community members would develop quickly after dissapearance with residents both in and beyond the local community sharing social media posts and providing footage to aid law enforcement in their efforts.
Rauber was discovered late Sunday afternoon in a wooded area near the 700 block of West Fourth, an area where she had last been seen on video footage. As noted during a prayer service Monday evening at Emporia’s Church of Christ, Rauber’s passing was deeply felt by the entire community, including the staff and ownership of 10 West, where Rauber was a faithful customer, according to owner Travis Hitt.
While speaking with KVOE News Wednesday, Hitt called her passing a “tragedy” and added that, in his opinion, the best response to tragedy is love.
Hitt stated several other businesses and establishments pitched in to help support Wednesday’s fundraiser.
Hitt added that Wednesday’s fundraiser on top of other memorial efforts truly showed the impact Rauber had on the community and he hopes the continued support and demonstrations of compassion from the community can help provide some comfort to her closest friends and family as they continue to mourn her loss.
Funeral arrangements for Rauber are still pending at last word. A GoFundMe page has been established to further assist with expenses.
