Friends, family plan benefit for man battling cancer

Reflections Nightclub to host event featuring music, food, raffles.

Roadways wet but passable as flurries resume
6:57 p.m.
Road crews take advantage of break in snow
6:50 p.m.
Police: Boy’s injuries don’t match defendant’s claims
6:42 p.m.
SunCoke receives permit from Ohio EPA
6:37 p.m.
Former Butler County girl on Sports Illustrated cover
3:02 p.m.
> More headlines

By Denise Wilson, Staff Writer 2:32 AM Saturday, November 21, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — Kenny Gasaway’s friends and family are coming to his aid while he battles cancer.

Gasaway, a 30-year-old father of two and a 1997 graduate from the old Lemon Monroe High School, recently underwent two face surgeries after being diagnosed with malignant melanoma, nodular type cancer in July.

Gasaway is a paramedic and operations field supervisor for EMT Inc. in Cincinnati and also helped Federal Emergency Management Agency as a volunteer with Hurricane Ike in Texas in 2008. He also previously served as a emergency medical technician-paramedic for Madison Twp. Life Squad from 2000-08 and still volunteers as a firefighter with the Carlisle Fire Department.

Gasaway is presently undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Reflections Nightclub owner Lisa Hammer said she is hosting a benefit for her friend Kenny, who she has known for seven years, at 1 p.m. today, Nov. 21, to help him pay his mounting medical bills.

Reflections is located at 1200 Elliott Drive in Middletown.

“My dad died three years ago of cancer and he was in his 70s, and he was in the fourth stage even before we found out, and there wasn’t a whole lot we could do,” she said. “Since Kenny is my friend and we heard he has cancer, it just kind of hit me because of what I went through with my dad. Plus a bunch of his other friends, we all want to do what we can for him. He’s had a tough road and he’s only 30 years old.”

The benefit will include a free performance by local rock band 3 Feet Deep and a raffle, which will include a dart board and a Jagermeister and Ohio State University pop machine.

Local restaurants such as Penn Station have donated food coupons, Applebee’s and Olive Garden have given gift cards and AutoZone has donated a bucket of materials for the event.

Hammer said she also plans to donate all the money from the $2 door cover charge to Gasaway, who lives in Middletown, along with proceeds from food and drinks sold during the event.

In addition, she said baskets being made by some of his friends also will be raffled off during the event.

To learn more about Gasaway, go to his Web site at www.kennygasaway.com.

Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5219 or dewilson@coxohio.com.

Share this article