Family, friends organize fundraiser for Northborough resident
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - The Charbonneau Activity Center at St. Bernadette's Church will be the place to be at 6 p.m., Saturday Oct. 13, as family and friends will gather for a benefit for one of Northborough's own, Jimmy Millar.

Since January, Jimmy, 47, has been diagnosed with both colon and liver cancer. He had a surgical procedure in August and will undergo additional surgery the day before the benefit.

"What we're trying to do is raise some money for Jimmy so that after he gets through this second surgery he can just go home and recover and heal and not have to worry about working and paying the bills for a while," said Sally Strout, Jim's sister. "This whole ordeal has taken a lot out of him, and I, we, his family think he just needs some time to recover from it all and with this benefit we're trying to give it to him."

Before he became ill, Jimmy worked with his brother, Jeff Millar, the owner operator of Living Colors, an interior/exterior painting company.

Strout is organizing the benefit with Jeff and their sisters Debra Rolfe, Kathy Stone and Pam Stickles.

Northborough Selectman Jeff Amberson has made passionate pleas during the last few Board of Selectmen meetings, urging the community to help out in whatever way they can.

"I can't think of a more worthy cause to get involved in," Amberson said. "Jimmy Millar is a great guy who is the fabric of the town. He is Northborough. He is a guy that would be first in line to help out others in a time like this."

The benefit will run from 6 to 11 p.m. and there will be music and food, beer and wine, and auction and raffle items.

"Everything is going very well," Strout said. "Everyone has been very supportive. St. Bernadette's is donating the activity center, Tommy Lowe and Lowe's Market is donating all the food, and lots and lots of people are donating auction and raffle items."

Strout estimated that there will be between 75 and 100 auction and raffle items, including a bigscreen television.

Tickets for the benefit are $20 and will be available at the door, although they can be purchased in advance, too, by contacting any of the organizers. Strout said that so far about 100 tickets have been sold, but that the family is hoping to have between 300 and 400 people attend the benefit.

Rolfe can be reached at 978-838-2628, Stone at 508-393-7459, Strout at 508-393-7739, Stickles at 508-869-6849 and Jeff Millar at 508-799-9914. There is also an e-mail address OurJimmyFund@gmail. com for anyone who has questions or for information about making a donation to the benefit or the cause.

For those who can't attend but want to help out, a fund has been set up in Jimmy's name at the Bank of America in Northborough, located at 31 West Main St.

"We just want to get together and gather and celebrate and tell Jimmy, again, just how much he means to us," Strout said. "And we thought that maybe we could do that in this manner and help ease some of his financial stress in the process."