John "JP" Picek

JP has called Mankato his home for over 40 years, and throughout that entire time he has been able to impact the lives of those close to him as well as those he meets on any given day. He has been an amazing father to his son Judd and daughter Jessie, teaching them in his own way what it means to be an independent person that knows how to approach life with both arms open and embrace every day, while living it to it's fullest potential. By never underestimating what each day may hold, he is able to enlighten all those around him with his sarcastic sense of humor that either puts you in awe or on the floor with laughter. Not one to let the little things be the speed bumps in his way to what he thinks he can accomplish or the things that hold back anyone he feels has the potential to accomplish their dreams. He has now been given the news that will eventually be the final roadblock on his path to living out all the dreams he holds dear. The very recent and unexpected news of Pancreatic Cancer has devastated himself and those around him. Working up until only 4 days before receiving the news, it has put him in the hospital, almost completely bedridden and yet his enormous heart still reaches out to be a part of his community to continue being able to impact those the same way he started out here. He is a private person himself that cares the most about improving the the quality of life of those he interacts everyday, and that is why we created this for him, to finally be able to give back even a fraction of what he given to us. There is no cure, there are no answers, but only an opportunity to enrich the time that he does have left and to be able to ease the pain and burdens his family is facing now and after. Please help us give back to this tremendous man that has done nothing but try to give all of us the chance to be more than we knew we could be. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and support in this difficult time.