Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Barleys plays host to benefit

By Sarah Poulton

YOUNGSTOWN — A once-familiar face at Barleys needs your help.

Former bar owner Darek Chomczyk is trying to raise money for his uncle’s cancer treatment. His uncle, Andrzej Witkowski, 46, has been suffering from myxoid liposarcoma since 2001. Chomczyk says it’s an aggressive, rare form of cancer.

Chomczyk says Witkowski came to America from his native Poland in 2001 for treatment. He had family already living in the Youngstown area, including Chomczyk who moved here in 1992, and has been in and out of treatment ever since, he says.

Witkowski, who doesn’t speak English, helps out around Barleys when he can. His abilities are lessening, and the financial burden of treatment is growing as quickly as the cancer, Chomczyk says.

“Right now, our family’s getting strapped for cash,” Chomczyk says. “It’s getting harder and harder. We need to come up with a way to support him as much as we can.”

During his seven-year battle with cancer, Chomczyk says Witkowski has fought hard and made the best of it. False hope throughout the years has brought him down, but he’s still the genuinely nice, caring, helpful person he’s always been, Chomczyk says.

“I talked to him about this a month ago, and he knows what’s going to happen,” Chomczyk says. “He said, ‘I’ve made peace with it. I know what’s going to happen eventually. I’m not going to worry about it anymore.’”

Just when they thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did, Chomczyk says. Three weeks ago, Witkowski’s oncologist, Dr. G. Thomas Budd, broke the news to the family that he had developed seven to eight tumors in his abdomen, heart and kidney. Chomczyk says he researched the Internet for alternative treatments.

He says he found a treatment called Yondelis, which was recently given the positive opinion of the European Medicines Agency, but as of now is only used in clinical trials in America. Chomczyk says the family talked it over with Budd, who practices in the Taussig Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic, and he suggested a hospital in Newark, N.J.

Chomczyk says insurance won’t cover this type of experimental treatment, so family and friends are hosting benefits in Witkowski’s name.

Saturday, there will be a benefit show at Barleys, featuring 5 Elements, Away from Eden, Jordan DePaul, Rajma and APG. Tickets are $5, and if you arrive before 9 p.m., you are automatically entered in a $100 drawing. There will also be a 50/50 raffle and tickets will be sold at the show for a chance to win a flat screen TV.

Jordan DePaul says he was approached in July to take part in the benefit, and will serve as the evening’s acoustic opener. He says he doesn’t really know Witkowski, but knows Chomczky through Barleys, and enjoys supporting this type of event.

“My dad has cancer, so I know where he’s coming from,” DePaul says. “I’d like to help out the best I can.”

Current Barleys owner, Dan Sweeney, says he’s happy to help. Aside from playing host, he says he will make a monetary donation at the end of the night.

“[Witkowski] helps out now and then,” Sweeney says. “He’s a good guy. This show’s a good fit for us.”

Donations will be accepted at Barleys the day of the show, and anytime at Farmers National Bank, where Chomczyk set up the Andrzej Witkowski Benefit Fund, a non-profit account so donations will be tax-deductible.

On Sept. 28, there will be a benefit golf outing at Bedford Trails Golf Course in Coitsville. The price per person is $55 and participants will get 18-holes with a cart, food and drinks.

“My goal is to raise around $20,000,” Chomczyk says. “Every penny that’s raised will go to his treatment.”

Barleys will host another benefit Oct. 3, for the family of Marc Moore of Hubbard, who died after a July 25 motorcycle accident.

For more information, visit the Witkowski Benefit Web site, or e-mail Chomczyk.