Wednesday's fundraiser to help former Rainbow Wahine basketball player Janevia Taylor with her medical bills might ultimately be remembered more for the depth and diversity of those who showed their support than the money raised. Either way, it was a rare heartwarming moment in a heartbreaking saga that started with a car accident in June.

Taylor, the 15th player in Hawai'i history to score 1,000 career points, finished her collegiate career in March. The 2003 graduate of San Bernardino High School reportedly fell asleep at the wheel June 23 and struck a motor-home or RV in California. She has not regained consciousness since.

The family does not have medical insurance and the bills are huge, from the $900 ambulance ride to the hospital that late night to her time in intensive care and the current $17,000-a-month fee for her care at Mountain View Convalescent Hospital in Sylmar, Calif.

The $7,700 raised Wednesday put her First Hawaiian Bank Friends of Janevia Taylor account at about $22,000. According to those involved, the process now is for the family to send bills here, which will be paid by the team's booster club out of the account.

It might just be a drop in a vast financial bucket, but the atmosphere surrounding Wednesday's four-hour fundraiser was remarkable, particularly for a player from a team that has always had trouble drawing fans. People from every age group and economic background showed up. Many others simply donated money, including lots of notoriously poor student-athletes, who were advised by UH not to attend because of NCAA compliance issues.

Many have never met Taylor, a 22-year-old with a sweet smile, exceptional energy and an engaging personality.

"People I know are not the richest in the world were giving $50, just being totally generous," said UH media relations director Neal Iwamoto, one of the organizers. "It was kinda heartwarming. Obviously, there were a lot people from the department there, but mostly it was a bunch of people who don't even come to games, which is why I thought it was totally cool."

The 204 who packed Eastside Grill Wednesday included coaches and trainers from nearly every sport, and former teammates Brittney Aiwohi, Milia Macfarlane and Amy Sanders — coming off a stint with the Detroit Shock. Lisa Mann and Lynette Liu, who played for the Rainbow Wahine in the 1980s, were there, as were former volleyball All-American Kanoe Kamana'o and softball players Rose and Joyce Antonio.

Men's basketball coach Bob Nash came early with his entire staff and stayed late, donating his long limbs to a fundraiser that sold tickets "by the armspan," and raised more than $700 in an hour. Balloon Brigade fans were there, along with boosters from many other programs. Student-athletes and others bought tickets even though they couldn't show. Some simply came to the door, dropped in money and took off "because I want to help."

Even the traditionally cheap media kicked in, with more than multi-camera coverage. KGMB sports director Liz Chun walked in the door and, almost in the same motion, put a bid on an auction item before she really knew what it was. DJ Billy V dropped by in a show of support and ended up as the first auctioneer. He was followed by Kevin Hashiro, the voice of Rainbow Wahine basketball and one of the event organizers, and associate coach Pat Charity.

Head coach Jim Bolla's wife, Dallas, took over for the final hours, frenetic and funny and completely comfortable in her new role. A table full of referees dominated the long auction, out-bidding pretty much everybody on pretty much anything from warmup suits to stereos, autographed footballs, dinners, Wahine volleyball bench seats and hotel stays — all donated, along with the pupu and site.

"Jim will have do something new next year," Charity said. "He won't be able to yell at the refs. They bought so much stuff."

Natalie Webb, the booster club representative, said the fundraiser "exceeded our goals" and was "overwhelmed with everyone's support." The group and UH are now looking for new ways to raise money.

Mostly, though, people are praying and trying to will Taylor out of her coma. When Iwamoto and teammates visited, her eyes remained closed. But Jim Bolla said Taylor's mother, Joy McClendon, told him her daughter opened her eyes on recent visits and "tracked" her movements. She believes the blank look of the past is "different."

Taylor's "conscious brain has shut down" because of her head injury, according to Dr. Robert Kagawa, who works with the team.

"Nobody really knows why some people come out of a coma and some stay in," he added. "The only advantage for her is she's young. I don't deal with comas too much, but to my thinking, the longer she is in it, the less chance she has to come out. The thing is, people surprise you so you just never know. People wake up in six months or eight months so you never know. All we can do is support her and wait for her to wake up."

Those closest believe she will.

"Every time I talk to her mother I end up crying," Charity said. "And she is like, 'Pat, you know what. She will wake up when God wants her to wake up.' I try to remind myself of that. She will wake up when God will let her. We have to let her go through the process, no matter how painful."

For one night anyway, the pain was not quite so bad.

"The fundraiser was a reflection of the program and its support," said Kagawa, who was in the midst of Wednesday's outpouring. "Maybe a lot of people don't come to the games, but this shows how much Hawai'i people care in general. Even though Janevia is not from here, they treat her as if she is."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.