The community came together Saturday to raise more than $30 thousand to help the Maxwell family of Tishomingo make it through aggressive cancer therapy in Houston.

Friends and family of Tishomingo’s Justin Maxwell, 29, have organized a benefit concert and dinner event to help Justin and his wife, Selena, pay expenses while he undergoes extensive cancer treatment in Houston beginning this month.

According to organizer Kathy Helton, $30,787 was raised from all the combined events, raffles, and auction Saturday at the Tishomingo County Fairgrounds. The participants really got into the spirit, bidding on items – a donated garden hoe went for $475, and some gas cans auctioned for $275 each! All the proceeds are added to a still growing GoFund Me account.

“We are just floored by the generosity of everyone,” said Helton. “We appreciate all the donations, and all the hard work everyone has put into helping this young family.”

This is the fourth bout with cancer Justin has dealt with since he was 21, said Helton. The other cancer was in his abdomen and was brought under control with previous treatments, but now it’s in his lungs, she said.

They have to stay there on or near the campus for three months, and he has to have a full-time caretaker. Helton said Maxwell is currently undergoing chemotherapy and medical caregivers have harvested about half of the stem cells from him they need to do stem cell therapy after a round of more aggressive chemotherapy. It is all very hard on his body, as described by Helton, who talks to Justin regularly.

In addition to the benefit, there are a duck hunt in Missouri and a crossbow from Lonnie’s being raffled, and there’s a GoFund Me page to which people can contribute. As of Wednesday, $3,270 had been contributed to help the Maxwells. Helton said donors can also donate at any First American National Bank location.

For raffle tickets, or more information, contact Shara Page at 662.424.2908 or Kathy Helton at 662.279.9388.