Sister auctions steer to benefit Woodstock woman struck by lightning

The sister of a 22-year-old Woodstock woman struck by lightning at a country music festival auctioned off her 1,010-pound steer, Dude, on Saturday afternoon at the McHenry County Fair.

Brooke Prehn, 19, had planned to use the money to help fund her final year at Blinn College in Texas. Instead, she will donate it to help pay for the medical care of her sister, Brittney.

Brooke Prehn auctioned the steer to GWE Realty at $6.25 a pound, the auction’s highest bid – one that calculates to more than $6,300. Most champion steers go for between $2 and $3 a pound.

“I wanted to do whatever I could do for her,” Brooke Prehn told the Northwest Herald. “This is what I could do for her.”

A GoFundMe page launched for Brittney Prehn's benefit has received more than $16,000. Donors have left notes of "Prayers for healing" and "Get well very soon" on the page. The family hopes to raise $50,000 to help cover medical expenses and therapy.

Kenosha County deputies found Brittney Prehn unconscious at the Country Thunder campgrounds in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, the morning of July 20.

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department could not immediately identify Brittney Prehn when they found her because she had no identification on her.

She was taken to Centegra Hospital – McHenry before being transferred to Loyola University Medical Center’s burn center.

Brittney Prehn, who is studying to become a special education teacher, must undergo several surgeries and therapy.

“She has a long road ahead,” Brooke Prehn said. “We’re taking it one day at a time.”

Their mother, Lisa Prehn, said the community response has made navigating the aftermath of the incident a little easier.

And the sisterly love, she said, has warmed her heart.

“I’m really proud of how the sisters have come together,” she said.