Friday, August 22, 2008
Singing their support
Local musicians have been belting out tunes to support a friend with breast cancer.
Photos by STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS The Roanoke Times
Karen Reed (middle), a former manager at Montano's, is undergoing treatment for stage 3 breast cancer, and friends and musicians at the restaurant and lounge on Franklin Road are having a four-week benefit to help Reed with her bills.
Steve Guidus and Gary Wimmer sing with other musicians in the lounge at Montano's on Franklin Road to raise money.
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Pink balloons marked the entrance to Montano's Restaurant for the fourth Wednesday in a row. Steve Guidus sat on a stool, introducing his band members for the evening: Lloyd Campbell, Jeff Steele, Gary Wimmer, Ginny Tedder and Mary Leifken. Guidus offered this band to the crowd as his "group du jour."
Speaking up from his drum set, Steele reminded everyone about the tip jar. But these musicians weren't trying to fill their own pockets.
All of the money the band made that evening, and for the past four weeks, went to help a former manager at the restaurant, Karen Reed.
Reed was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer May 29, just after her move from Roanoke to Charlotte, N.C. With no health insurance, she was forced to deal with more than $50,000 in medical bills. Reed became overwhelmed and called on her friend and recent co-worker, Lenora Campbell, for support.
Campbell wanted to help Reed chip away the rising debt she was in and enlisted the restaurant's regular musician, Guidus, to help organize a fundraiser for Reed. He agreed immediately.
Over the past four Wednesdays, Guidus arranged for about 20 musicians to give free performances, donating the money they would normally make to Reed.
Campbell organized a silent auction. Jewelry, hair salon gift certificates and artwork were just some of the items being auctioned, adding up in value to more than $1,000.
Knowing all too well how to help, Guidus has become something of a veteran in the fundraising department.
Seven years ago, he helped raise money for a friend, Cindy Loony, also diagnosed with breast cancer. Loony selflessly used the money to buy portable DVD players for patients enduring hours of chemotherapy at Lewis-Gale Medical Center. Loony lost her battle with cancer last fall.
Just a few months ago, Guidus also worked with Campbell at Montano's to raise money for fellow musician Lloyd Campbell. Due to complications from diabetes, Lloyd Campbell had his foot amputated and says, "It helped me pay basic expenses and hold off some of the creditors."
As the tip jar filled up with one, five, and 10-dollar bills, Janice Welch decided to challenge everyone. Dropping in $100, Welch explained that her mother is a breast cancer survivor.
As the band inside Montano's began to rock, Reed's brother, Joe Wilkins, arrived to the restaurant on his custom-built 2008 chopper. Climbing off his bike -- his pride and joy -- Wilkins explained he would be raffling it off, charging only $10 a ticket.
"I just found out today he's going to raffle it off." Reed said with a tear in her eye, "Everybody's really just pulled together. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends."
When asked why, Wilkins explained, "Well, I can always build another bike, but I only got one sister."
With the help of Montano's and Guidus alone, more than $3,000 has been raised to help Reed this past month. If you would like more information about how to donate or buy raffle tickets, you can e-mail Reed at kreed1230@yahoo.com.
