Berkley, Ferndale

Fundraisers on tap to help locals with incurable illnesses

By Jeremy Selweski
C & G Staff Writer

FERNDALE/BERKLEY — Residents looking to donate to a good cause will have plenty of options to choose from in the coming weeks, as a number of events are on tap to help people who are battling incurable diseases.

‘We’re all pulling together’
In Ferndale, a series of four fundraisers has been planned to assist a local woman in need of a double-lung transplant. Jessica Johnson, 33, of St. Clair Shores is a wife, mother and stepmother who was born with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that has left her with only 30 to 40 percent of her normal lung capacity.

According to Johnson’s future sister-in-law, Ferndale resident Kirsten Buys, the transplant-related expenses are estimated to be about $60,000, and around 20 percent of that goal has been collected so far. Johnson’s family has asked for assistance from the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA), a national charity based in Bloomington, Ind.

“Within six weeks, we had already raised $12,000 or $13,000 without even holding any fundraisers, but we still have a long way to go,” said Buys, who also owns the Ferndale business Fresh Chef Detroit. “Even if you are medically eligible (to receive a transplant), you still have to prove that you can raise enough money to cover your portion of the cost. We all felt like we had to do something to help her.”

The fundraisers kicked off on Feb. 19 with an hour-long class at Serendipity Yoga, 207 E. Nine Mile Road, in which certified instructor Monica Breen collected a $10 suggested donation from each student.

Coming up next, Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., will host an event from 1-5 p.m. on Feb. 25. For every $10 donation at the door, guests will receive one entry for door prize drawings, which include gift baskets, artwork and gift certificates for a variety of local businesses. There will also be a bake sale and a silent auction for large items, such as furniture, business-related services and travel packages.

On March 6, Essential Massage Therapy at 22941 Woodward Ave. will donate the proceeds from all massages for the day toward Johnson’s lung transplant fund. Residents can call (248) 547-5428 to schedule an appointment.

Finally, from 7-10 p.m. on March 29, there will be a more informal event held at The Loving Touch pool hall, 22634 Woodward Ave. Guests can purchase a $10 wristband at the door, which will get them special drink discounts and free games of pool.

As Buys noted, other benefits are being held in Johnson’s hometown of Tecumseh, Mich., and additional funds are being raised through the sale of “Hope for Jessica” T-shirts.

“This transplant would add another 20 years on to her life,” Buys said. “She needs to get new lungs within one year, so we’re trying to move as quickly as we can. We’re all really pulling together right now.”

To contribute to any of the scheduled events or to help with other fundraising or volunteer opportunities, contact Buys at (248) 302-0503 or at kirsten@freshchefdetroit.com. For more information, visit www.cotafor jessicaj.com.

‘Race against the clock’
Berkley resident Louis Domin has been holding fundraisers for several years that are inspired by the health struggles of his parents, who he calls his “heroes.”

From 7 p.m. to midnight on Feb. 25, Domin is hosting his fifth annual Support the Team party at the Berkley American Legion Post 374, located at 2079 W. 12 Mile Road. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the world’s largest nonprofit health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services.

Domin’s father, Harry, a Vietnam War veteran, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2003. Domin and his mother, Michele, began helping to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society a few years later. Ironically, Michele Domin was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, giving her son a second reason to contribute to the organization.

Domin said that when his father was diagnosed, he was struggling to make sense of the disease and looking for a way to channel his feelings into something that would make a difference. Soon, he came across a flier for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and signed up to run in one of its marathons.

Since that time, he has participated in 11 marathons with the organization and has raised over $25,000. But it was Domin’s first event, the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City in May 2007, that proved to be the most memorable.

“Finishing that marathon and seeing my dad at the finish line was one of the most emotional experiences of my entire life,” he said. “The race I run is not the marathon; it’s a race against the clock, a race to find new treatments and a cure for thousands who are currently living with these deadly diseases.”

At the Berkley American Legion fundraiser, guests can gain entry via a $25 donation at the door. Inside, there will be food and drinks served, as well as karaoke. Additional funds will be raised through a raffle and a silent auction featuring prizes donated by local businesses.

Domin noted that the event consistently pulls in 200 to 225 people, and he hopes that this year’s benefit is his most successful yet.

“I’m just really passionate about this cause,” he said. “I can’t stress enough how grateful I am to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for all the amazing work that they’ve done. I’ve met a whole bunch of incredible people through the society who have become lifelong friends. It’s a great organization with so many layers of support.”

For more information on the Feb. 25 fundraiser, contact Domin at (248) 506-8194 or at ldomin@creditacceptance.com.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Jeremy Selweski at jSelweski@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5004.