Supper to benefit pair battling medical adversity

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Sometimes, sadly, an old saying rings so true it makes your heart ache.

Considering what the family of John and Kathleen Rae-Lawson of Brewer are coping with at the moment, the phrase “it never rains but it pours” comes to mind.

Kathleen Rae-Lawson was critically injured in an accident on Jan. 16 while driving on a slippery U.S. Route 1A in Holden.

In the family van with their mother were 12-year-old Keegan Rae and 10-year-old Hannah Rae.

Keegan suffered bumps and bruises and Hannah had facial injuries. Older brother Eric Rae, 14, was not in the van at the time of the accident.

Rae-Lawson was in a coma for two weeks, and remained hospitalized at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor until she was able to return home on March 16.

In the meantime, John Lawson entered EMMC for surgery on March 6 for esophageal cancer.

He was discharged the same day as his wife, but had to return to the hospital two days later.

Both, however, are now at home and, after speaking with John on Monday morning, I am pleased to report he and Kathleen are doing as well as can be expected considering all they’ve gone through.

Kathleen, who is a respiratory therapist, is receiving physical therapy to assist in her recovery from, among other things, hemorrhaging on the brain.

John, who is a fellow employee at the Bangor Daily News production facility in Hampden and owner of Lawson’s Locksmithing, is looking forward to the next day being even better than the one before.

While the Lawsons strive to recover from the difficulties they find themselves in, friends, neighbors and those who care about them are working to help the family defray medical expenses.

Under the leadership of Mary-Ann Marcellino, members of St. John’s Religious Education Program are holding a potluck supper to benefit the family at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 7, at St. John’s Catholic Church, 207 York St. in Bangor.

Donations for the supper are $5 for adults, $2.50 for children and $10 per family.

Vernon Cox will entertain guests with his interesting stories, and there will be games for the children to play.

And while Marcellino has been soliciting food contributions for the supper, she said if you can bring a dish to share, it would be greatly appreciated.

Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, raffle tickets will be available at the supper for a chance to win free round-trip tickets for two to Disney World, including airport and motel transfers, and four nights’ lodging at Disney’s All-Star Resort.

The raffle donation is $5 per ticket, or five for $20. The drawing is set for Sunday, May 13, and you need not be present to win.

Raffle tickets also can be purchased at Shepherd’s Path, 849 Stillwater Ave. in the Centre Mall in Bangor, or call 942-4298; Cowan’s Service Station, 146 South Main St., Brewer, 989-5330; or St. John’s Rectory, 207 York St., Bangor, 942-6941.

All money raised from the raffle and the supper benefit the Lawson family.

Young people seeking to further their education are among the many beneficiaries from funds raised at the Bangor Business & Professional Women’s Club Annual Fashion Show.

Bangor BPW president Barbara Grant reports that, this year, two University of Maine students on the Orono campus each received scholarships of $586 from the local organization that is now in its 80th year.

This year’s show, which features fashions from The Pretty Woman Boutique in Orono, begins with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 16, at Spectacular Events Center, 395 Griffin Road in Bangor. A buffet dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., followed by the fashion show at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 each, and can be purchased from any Bangor BPW member, at The Pretty Woman Boutique in Orono, or in Bangor at The Grasshopper Shop or Patrick’s Hallmark Shop in the Broadway Shopping Center.

Reservations should be made by Friday, April 6.

If you would like to reserve your space, call Grant, in the evening, at 942-9039 or Anne Spencer, during the day at 942-4644 or, in the evening, at 942-8230.

All high school seniors, or their equivalents, in Penobscot County, are invited to enter the Penobscot County Bar Association 2001 Law Day Essay Contest.

According to attorney Marie Hansen of the Brewer law firm of Ferris, Dearborn & Willey, all contest entries must be postmarked no later than Friday, April 13.

The theme of this year’s contest is “Protecting the Best Interests of our Children.”

The 500-word essays must be typed and double-spaced, and must include the student’s name, address, phone number, name of high school and principal or equivalent, the student’s age and certification as a 12th-grader.

The winner will receive a $500 scholarship; the runner-up $250, third-place $100 and two honorable mention awards of $50 each will be announced on Tuesday, May 1.

Entries should be mailed to Law Day Essay Contest, Penobscot Bar Association, P.O. Box 190, Orrington 04473, or to Law Day Essay Contest, Penobscot Bar Association, P.O. Box 609, Brewer 04412-0609.

If you have questions about this contest, you can call Hansen at her office, 989-3366, or attorney Laurie Miller, Downeast Law Associates, 825-3850.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.