Residents and businesses stretching from Williams Lake to McLeese Lake and beyond are pulling together this weekend to help a family whose son was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Gavin Goodwin, 7, is currently in Vancouver General Hospital receiving medical treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and his family is struggling with the costs of travel and everyday living expenses, says Kathy Lidgren, who is co-organizing a fundraising event for them along with friend Charli-anne Erho.
"My girlfriend and I stopped in at the (Oasis) pub for a beer a few weeks ago (in McLeese Lake) and the manager was telling us about the little boy. Four hours later we were still sitting there coming up with ideas on how we were going to help this family," said Lidgren.
A family fundraising event will be held at the McLeese Lake campground and pub this Saturday, September 17.
Local bands and musicians will be playing throughout the day and there will be a variety of fun activities for kids of all ages.
Activities kickoff at 11 a.m., with a short break around 4 p.m. and will continue inside the pub at 8:30 p.m. with local band Static performing.
There will be a silent auction from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Lidgren said she and Erho have been working non-stop ever since pounding the pavement to get donations and sponsors for the event with great success. She doesn't know the family but she was drawn to helping them because she has a six-year-old grandson herself, close to the same age as Gavin.
"That's what got my heart. My children are my world so I can't image what the family is going through."
Lidgren said she is going to Facebook the family live through video during the event when representatives from the organization Families Fighting Cancer are going to present a cheque to help the family and she has been invited to visit Gavin and his family at the hospital sometime in the near future.