Pay it Forward at the MDS Benefit for Lori Allen Fry

Sunday, June 12, from noon to 8:00 p.m., a benefit will be held in honor of Lori Allen Fry at Blaine’s Pub, 10 W. Harris Ave. Lori is battling her second round of Leukemia. The price to enter the benefit is only $10 at the door.

Lori was first diagnosed with Leukemia in 2010. After the diagnosis, she underwent seven months of treatment and was in remission for five years. Six months ago, Lori was diagnosed with another form of Leukemia called Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS).

As of now, Lori is currently at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. She will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant, and if the treatment works, she could be cured of the Leukemia.

For the treatment to be successful, Lori will be required to be isolated from family and friends for at least 30 days. If the treatment is successful, Lori can be released from the hospital, but will be require 24-hour care and have to be within a five-mile radius of the hospital for at least four months. Lori will have to remain near MD Anderson for up to eight months.

At the benefit, Elvis will be in the building. An Elvis impersonator will be coming from El Paso to join in the festivities for the day.

Also during the benefit, a silent and live auction will be taking place. Some live auction items include:

• 10 person dove hunt, with a meal
• Animal shoulder mount
• Two VIP passes to the boat drag (each ticket includes two people)
• Weekend rental at Miss Annabel’s Lakehouse Vacation
• Icehole cooler

After the live auction, the band Brushfire will play at Blaine’s.

Raffle tickets will also be on sale during the benefit. Raffle tickets are available for a six-and-a-half-hour spa relaxation treatment at the Secret Vineyard Day Spa. Another item is a Winchester Model 94 Legendary Frontiersman Rifle.

Al raffle tickets are $5 per ticket, or $20 for five tickets.

Drema Neves is helping coordinate and put this benefit together. Drema said she became friends with Lori through Delbert and Michelle Allen, Lori’s brother and sister in-law.

Drema said, “I’m all about community and helping those in the community, and if this [benefit] is what it takes, then that’s what it takes.”

Delbert and Michelle also helped Drema put this benefit into action. Drema wants everyone to know that she “can’t set a goal [for the benefit] because every dollar is important.”

“There is over 100,000 people in this town," she said. "If everybody, once a month, went to a benefit or charity and just gave one dollar, that would be an awesome benefit.”

She added that plates of food will be available. The dish will contain chicken, macaroni and cheese, which Drema said is “the bomb,” as well as beans.

The public is highly encouraged to come to Blaine’s Pub to support Lori. Good food, entertainment and prizes will make it worth the trip. Think of this benefit as a pay it forward event; that is how Drema believes it to be.