| In Times of Need, Northeast Pennsylvania comes to the aid of its own. In our regular column, we provide a platform for area residents facing a variety of obstacles to create awareness and connect them with much-needed help. |
Who: Montrose resident John Jones worked hard at everything he did, whether it was being a good dad to daughter Taylor, 21, or motoring on the road as a truck driver. The outgoing 54-year-old used to fuel his love of muscle cars in a job at Pocono Raceway, but recent health problems sidelined him from his usual life. In April, Jones sought treatment in an emergency room for severe headaches and nausea, which later testing revealed were being caused by Stage IV metastatic lung cancer that had spread to his brain. The brain tumor was successfully removed, and he began treatment soon after. However, the cancer continued to spread to Jones’ brain and spinal fluid and into his hips. His condition was inoperable, and he endured treatment to slow the progression of the disease. On Sept. 27, Jones succumbed to cancer.
What: Donations payable to the John Jones Benefit Fund can be mailed to Peoples Security Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 335, Montrose, PA 18801-0335, or any other branch of the bank. Supporters also have organized Let’s Do It for Johnny!, a cruise-in benefit that will feature food, drinks, a bake sale, face painting, raffles, a Chinese auction, a cornhole tournament (for $10 per team) and music by DJ Brady Goldsmith, the Lone Ryderz Band and Sonny on the Causeway. To register for cornhole, call Madison at 570-497-6595. For more information, call Kristin at 570-396-1029.
When: Sunday, Oct. 13; cruise-in, 10 a.m., rain or shine; music, 3 p.m.
Where: VFW Post 5642, 16972 Route 706, Montrose
Why: The benefit, originally organized to help make Jones’ home more handicap-accessible before his death, will go on as planned, except proceeds now will be used to help Jones’ daughter with funeral and final expenses.
Peggy Farina
Update: Tickets are still available for the Fighting for Peggy benefit pasta dinner set for Sunday, Oct. 13, from noon to 3 p.m. at Rossi’s Ristorante, 150 S. Main St., Archbald. The event, which costs $12 for take-out-only dinners and will also feature basket raffles, supports Margaret “Peggy” Curtis Farina, who is battling primary central nervous system lymphoma. For tickets, call Erin at 570-351-2307 or Diane at 570-313-9064.
Patrice Wilding is a 13-year employee of the Lifestyles Dept. at The Times-Tribune, where she worked her way up from a clerk to a web video producer to a full-time reporter, writer and copy editor. An Olyphant native, she graduated from Mid Valley Secondary Center and earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with concentration in media arts, political science and communications from Wesley College, Dover, Delaware. She lives in Clarks Summit with her husband, Justin, and their son, Johnny. Contact: pwilding@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5369; @pwildingTT
