Big Greer Benefit Arrives

    The community will come together on Sunday to support Umatilla pharmacist Richard Greer, who continues to fight pancreatic cancer. A volunteer group dubbed the 'Support Squad' has organized a large event to be held from 2-6 p.m. in Umatilla's Cadwell Park.
   Greer, owner of Umatilla Drug Store and a fixture in the Umatilla community, will be both celebrated and supported at the event. Greer continues to receive cancer treatments and has been mostly absent from the drugstore in recent months, but he hasn't been forgotten by the community.
   The event has already sold out its allotment of 400 BBQ dinners slated to be served at the event, but even those without dinner tickets are invited to come and enjoy live music from the Time Machine Band, participate in raffles for door prizes - on Monday organizers reported having nearly 20 baskets that will be in the raffle, enter the big 50/50 drawing, and more. Included for auction will be an original art piece valued at over $400 among other items. In addition, any BBQ dinners leftover will be available during the event, as will hot dog and chili dog meals.
   The event is cash only.
   The benefit was conceived by Umatilla Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Neuman.
   “We were driving home from vacation and I got the wild idea in my mind,” Neuman said this week. She called longtime event coordinator and friend Jenny Bryan, and the party was on.
   “Jenny said ‘yeah’, so when I got home, we started working on it. I’m hoping it’s going to be a great event.”
   Cadwell Park is located one block east of SR 19 on Cassady Street in downtown Umatilla. For more information or to donate a raffle basket, call Neuman at 352-516-3013 or Bryan at 352-636-4893.