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Sunday October 12
McCooles Arts and Events Place
10 S. Main St.
Quakertown PA 18951
2-9 pm
Mon Oct 20, 2014 Dear Family and Friends... I've never experienced anything like the overwhelming support I saw over this benefit and cause. I'm totally in awe. Many great things besides the obvious monetary issues occurred, such as relieving some stress from my wife, who has literally seen a doctor over the stress of my condition. There's also the fact that the event was successful and encouraged the organizers to consider making it an actual non-profit organization for future victims in need. And there's the issue of the venue itself, lending such great experience and support for possibly holding more unique events and shows in the future. That being said, here's a brief summary of the results. R4R had two primary goals: 1) Save my life by treating and eliminating Hepititis C which is destroying my liver, ultimately leading to liver cancer and death. HOW MUCH DID R4R MAKE? WHERE'S THE MONEY? $1000.00 towards existing medical bills. There's many bills insurance doesn't cover. $1000.00 towards my monthly insurance payments, and just maintaining the insurance I have because I'm going to really need it. $1000.00 is being earmarked for the days I have to miss work over treatment...if it doesn't get spent on bills first. It was nice to see money in my checking account after cashing all the checks, but it was gone in a day after covering just some of those bills. Still, it was a great feeling. Something I've never really seen before: money in my account! Thank you! As I go into the New Year, I will be responsible for the next $3000.00, and the total cost of treatment will be even more unbelievable, but thanks to the benefit I have options for covering these sky-high costs that I'm held responsible for. There's grants and hardship options, etc. I will certainly pursue all options. CONCLUSION It brought together so many cool people, and it wasn't because someone was dead and it was too late. We all got to smile and enjoy the day instead of it being about misery. R4R really boosted my moral (and my wife's.) It gave me hope and encouragement to fight the fight. Many people have this disease, and many people have beat it. But many let it kill them, from lack of a check up or being to late getting one. And it opened the door to do some more shows there, for benefits and otherwise. It was too fun to just do once in a lifetime. AND ONE MORE TIME |
Letter of Thanks Wow what an event! The music was great! The support was great! EVERYONE was great! I haven't tallied it all up yet, I was loading late and unloading all morning and now writing at the cabstand, but I'll get the details you. First let me thank this amazing line up! That's right...13 performances, in this order: 1) The UBACE kids-the few that came played straight from the heart.... Not to forget: Endurance award: Another nod of appreciation for lending their gear: Drivers for Bobby Radcliff: Photographers: SUPER BIG THANK YOU'S -the Roman Army: Not to mention OK stay tuned for more results. Got a story? A favorite band or incident that took place? Won a prize? Tell us about it! |
Update Oct 11, 2014 "YOU DON'T LOOK SICK ..." they say, "...you LOOK pretty healthy." Yeah, that's what I think. I'm not walking all bent over with a crippling disease. I'm not getting all skinny and frail looking. I'm not dead...yet. There's people all around who look worse than me, and they're doing fine. And that's the deceiving part. I don't really feel that sick either. Well, not deathly ill...sore and achy...some stomach problems ...depressed sometimes...always tired. And sometimes delirious. Flashbacks? Just getting old? Not quite. I have liver disease and hepatitis C, (genotype 3A,) and I've apparently had it since the 80's. By now it has permanently damaged my liver to the point of cirrhosis, which eventually leads to cancer of the liver, then death. I found this out when I was put in the hospital two years ago, August 2012. My first hope was a brand new cure coming out that doesn't even have a name yet, but it turns out it's only for "genotype 1." The next cure available for me is a $1,000 a day pill for 6 months, which has milder side effects than the next option... The cheaper, but still costly, cure that the insurance companies will want me on is a 3 month pill/injection combo with Interferon. (Anybody familiar with hepatitis is familiar with this word. I never was, now I am.) In the past this method required 6-12 months of weekly injections, and had only a 50% chance of being effective. Now it's a higher success rate, but the side effects of interferon are debilitating: fatigue, fever, chills, and depression. I'm being warned that I better figure on two days off after every injection. Lots of people need this cure, in one way or the other. Some get it because they can afford it, others get it free through some poverty program or something. I'm caught in the middle, I pay for my own insurance (do you know how hard that is as a "musician"?) but how much insurance companies are willing to compensate is a big question. I have thousands of dollars of bills right now just from finding all this out and I haven't even gotten started. Don't get me wrong, thank God I have insurance. They're covering 80% of most of this, but still, after not asking for help for two years, I'm losing this battle. Financial advisors have explained to me that this benefit is to battle existing costs and primarily allow me to not lose the insurance I manage to have. Thanks to your help I can beat this. I don't have to let it continue to kill me. This benefit is not for a funeral. It's a day full of hope and awareness, complimented by great music by great friends all together at once. The response and help I've gotten already is mind-blowing, flattering, and emotionally touching. I can hardly wait to celebrate with you. Thank you for making that a possibility. Sincerely, and I mean it man, (Matt) Roman
Circa 1959, reaching for my big brother's guitar, a 1954 Gibson ES125. Bobby Messano 8pm
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August 2014
Dear family, friends, students, associates
There's me with a good friend, Rick Mad Dog Moyer, just one of many I have lost to illness.
Now I'm in trouble, but fortunately for me I was diagnosed in time. Unfortunately I'm out of money to pay for the medical treatment and costs, despite getting as many jobs as I can fit in a day, selling what I could, and paying my own insurance.
I didn't know. It took me being admitted to an emergency room two years ago. I was diagnosed with liver disease as a result of Hep C. I just thought that I was getting tired, stiff, sore, achy and depressed because I was getting old. I had learned to live with it. Now I find out I've had it since the '80's, I could have been avoiding all that, that there is a cure, and I better get it quick if I want to stay alive.
There's a new cure becoming available in Oct/Nov but at an unaffordable price. Even with insurance, the percentage left over after deductible is staggering...more thank I'll ever earn.
I've played a lot of benefits to help others, so some of those friends suggested organizing one for me to return the favor.
It's to be held Sunday October 12. It will be a great musical event and a good cause. So many great people have agreed to help that it's turned into an amazing all day concert including prizes, raffles, auctions and tons of talent. The music I have been involved with covers a very wide range, so there will be punk rock to jazz, with all styles of rock, blues, and fusion in between. Plus national and international artists (scheduling permitting.) Just some of the acts offering to help so far (alphabetically listed.)
Arne Englund-Blues roots
Bobby Messano-Grammy multi-nominated winner
Bobby Radcliff-Legendary Magic Sam style Blues
Gary Rissmiller-Jazz
Glue Factory-Alt Original Rock
Joe Mac Attack-Rock/Fusion
Kind Of Blue alumni-Jazz/Rock
Mad Dog BNO alumni-Blues/Funk
Mike Dugan-Rock, Blues
Sarah Ayers-multiple LVMA Female Vocalist awards
UBACE-Kids Jam
and various wandering minstrels are volunteering every day.
After the event I'm right back to the hospital for more tests and to begin treatment. There's a link below if you cannot attend but care enough to help.
Stay tuned to this website page, details are updating constantly. I'm trying to keep on top of it all, it's like, impossible sometimes, only with friends and support is it becoming a reality. I humbly ask your help. There's many ways you can:
Volunteer to help with the event.
Be a sponsor.
Donate items or business gift certificates for auctions or raffles.
Buy a ticket or donate to help costs.
Just spread the word, share it on Facebook, and don't let it happen to you. Get a check-up!
On Facebook
Special thanks for organizing this event:
Joe Scrizzi, raffle and sponsor organizer (610) 217-4573
Tina, my sister-misc. information and main contact
(
610) 530-0895
John Rudy,organizer
Adam Roberts, websites
UPDATES
as posted on Facebook, etc.
Thank you for the positive responses and offerings of help. I could use volunteers at the event relieving somebody at a chair taking tickets, raffles, etc. Boy I'm nervous about all this
MUSICIANS:
I would everyone I've ever jammed with to play but obviously that's impossible. I will suggest you all keep an ax handy in case I manage to arrange a jam scenario.
GEAR, GIFT CERTIFICATES, and any other COOL STUFF:
l have stuff up for auction and raffles. If you want to contribute or sell stuff and donate some of the proceeds BRING IT.
Joe Scrizzi is in charge of more details about this: 610 217-4573
All content © 2014 Romanmusic and Uncle Wagon
Records (UWR)
