WORTHINGTON — A benefit spaghetti dinner has been organized in Worthington to help raise funds for a wheelchair-accessible van for longtime resident Debbie Carens Reilly.
Reilly is a fiercely independent and active member of her community and well known for her tireless work on the School Committee.
Reilly has multiple sclerosis and typically gets around town in a van that has been modified to accommodate her motorized wheelchair. This spring, however, that van broke down — leaving her without any form of transportation, a tough situation for anyone living in the Hilltowns.
To make matters worse, Reilly’s husband Bob who had a heart attack earlier in the year, was recently diagnosed with prostrate cancer and is being treated in Boston. This left Reilly both on her own and without transportation to see her husband in the hospital.
“It has been a pretty tough spring,” Reilly said. “I try to keep my vans for as long as I can, but the floor had rusted out of this one and the rear strut was broken.”
When several women in town got word of Reilly’s situation, they decided to take action.
Resident Pat Nugent credits Althea Mason with being the driving force behind creating a support fund to purchase a new van for Reilly.
The fund has raised enough money to pay for a down payment on a wheelchair-accessible van that Reilly now has, and is hoping to raise enough to pay for the van in its entirety.
“It’s scary driving into Boston; I feel like the whole town has stock in my van and I don’t want to dent it,” Reilly exclaimed.
For Reilly, accepting help doesn’t come easily.
“This has really floored me in positive ways. I just have to get over my old Yankee idea that I have to do everything myself,” Reilly said. “I am extremely humbled, flattered and grateful, and it just brings tears to my eyes that people are so generous.”
Nugent said that the Reillys are just “down on their luck, and this is what country people do for each other.”
“Debbie is tough, and she has never asked for a hand out,” Nugent said. “She is the kind of girl that would just get in her chair and ride the four to five miles to get to the school.”
Reilly did travel in her wheelchair to get to a few school committee meetings, which is no easy feet in the Hilltowns.
Reilly said that she is humbled by the kindness of her community. Being the altruist that she is, she managed to use that generosity to motivate her to give more when she can.
“I have always tried to be as generous as possible with both money and energy but this really inspires me to pay it forward,” she said. “It just makes me want to dedicate myself to doing more.”
The Blackburn Inn has donated its establishment for the fundraising dinner that will be held on July 27, from 5-7 p.m.
Tickets for the event are $15 and people are asked to bring a donation for the Debbie Carnes Reilly Support Fund. There will also be a raffle for a 40-inch smart TV.
For more information, call Pat at 238-5815.
GOSHEN — Nataraj Performing Arts of India, the Pioneer Valley’s only classical Indian dance company, will perform in Goshen this Saturday at the Prakasa Yoga studio, located at 152 Ball Road.
Based in the Five College area, Nataraj Inc. is a non-profit arts, cultural and educational organization established by Ranjanaa Devi.
Devi is an adjunct faculty member in the University of Massachusetts dance department and teaches classical Indian dance, Indian dance and theater in the Asian dance and music program.
Nataraj Inc. promotes an appreciation of the performing arts of India and teaches the dance and music of India throughout the U.S. by way of its dance company, Nataraj Dancers.
Saturday’s performance will consist of five dances in the Odissi, a style drawn from the tradition of temple dancers in eastern India.
If you have yet to see a performance of classical Indian dance, you likely will not want to miss this one.
Tickets are $20, or $10 for ages 17 and under. For reservations, call 268-7515.
Ideas for this column on life in the Hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at fryan.gazette@gmail.com.