- Caleb Johnson's family honors his legacy by serving others after his organ donation.
- They initiated the #CJServes campaign, inspiring acts of service on June 17, which is his birthday.
- This year, they fundraise for Rachel Clark, a young woman battling brain cancer.
MAPLETON — For Sheri Johnson, June 17 is a day filled with joy, sadness and hope. Joy for the celebration of a life well-lived; sadness for the loss of a life too soon; and hope for the lives that the memory of her son Caleb Johnson has and will continue to touch.
KSL.com first reported on Caleb in June of 2020, following his death in a tragic car accident, after which he was able to donate his liver to the mother of his childhood friend. Sheri Johnson said the selfless act of being an organ donor is a testament to the person her son was, and finding ways to serve others on his behalf has been a way to honor his legacy.
"Caleb lived a life of service and amazingly, his last act of service in this life was the gift of life, saving six people through organ donation," Sheri Johnson said. "Unbeknownst to us, on the day of his funeral (on June 6), friends and neighbors had cards printed up encouraging others to do an act of service in Caleb's honor on his birthday, which is June 17. These cards were handed out at his funeral to everyone in attendance. As a family, we were humbled that so many people would be honoring Caleb's example on his birthday."
The cards had #CJServes on them, and Sheri Johnson said that countless acts of service have been completed and can be viewed through that hashtag. And while seeing others serve on behalf of her son brought her joy, Johnson said that she, too, wanted to find ways to serve.
"Just a week and a half after burying Caleb, we decided to plant two trees at Mapleton city police station, in Caleb's honor," she said. "We were so grateful for the kindness they had shown to our family during this extremely difficult time. Planting trees was a way we were able to thank them for the caring way they attended to Caleb at the scene of the accident, as well as to our family."
The following year, Johnson and her family built a home for a family in need in Costa Rica, and she said that she was amazed how much serving others helped their family heal.
"I knew the first anniversary would be tough, and I wanted to be gone and focusing on others rather than feeling sorry for ourselves. It worked!" Johnson said. "Our service there was an incredible experience! Watching my kids do hard work in humid temps, in less than comfortable conditions, filled my heart with love for them and even more for Caleb and his example."
As the years have gone on, the Johnson family has served other families in need through yard work, home repairs and even raising funds for individuals and families in need. This year, they are holding a fundraiser for a recently married 25-year-old woman named Rachel Clark who is battling brain cancer. According to Johnson, seeing a young couple endure a challenge like this evokes tender feelings because her son Caleb had also recently gotten married.
"It's always a challenge to decide who to serve because there is a lot of heartache and tragedy," Johnson said. "I thought about the similarities of Rachel and her husband to Caleb and his wife. I'm sure that's why it hit a tender spot in my heart and another reason why I just knew this was to be our CJServes project this year."
The fundraising event will take place at family-owned Maple Mountain Pharmacy on June 17 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be a silent auction, pay-what-you-can haircuts and DIY jewelry, a bake sale and other food items for sale.
An online auction has already begun and can be accessed on Instagram @CJServes.
"We are still in contact with three of Caleb's organ recipients and they are all participating in our CJServes legacy charity benefit and silent auction," Sheri said. "They have all donated things to help us raise money, and are planning on joining us that day at the pharmacy to help us honor Caleb.
"CJServes is honestly my favorite day of the year!" she continued. "I'm not even sure who came up with this originally, but I am forever grateful. In our deepest time of heartache, knowing people literally all over the world were serving others in honor of Caleb was humbling. Type in #CJServes on Instagram or Facebook and you will see many acts of service from that inaugural year, June 17, 2020."
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