Hello, my name is Mike Garceau and I've been friends with Kevin Lavallee / Buzz since we were 5 years old. Many of you might know him from Huskies Tavern at UCONN where he has worked for over 30 years. We went to high school together in Putnam, CT, he was the Best Man at my wedding and he’s the God Father to my daughter. He has a heart of gold and has always been there for many of us whenever we've needed him.

Kevin needs all his friends now. About a year ago, he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma which is a cancer of the blood plasma cells. This form of cancer does not currently have a cure, but significant progress has been made in managing the disease. Since being diagnosed, Kevin has gone through 18 weeks of chemotherapy and is currently at Dana Farber receiving a cutting-edge stem cell transplant therapy that we hope will put the disease into remission for an extended period. I’ve been absolutely amazed at how well he has handled everything. He's still the same great guy despite the challenges and as he continues to be the primary caregiver for his elderly Mother.

Kevin has health insurance, but the out-of-pocket expenses will be significant. I've established a preliminary fund-raising goal of $15,000. I will revise this as the full picture of his medical bills becomes clearer. If we raise more money than is needed, I will donate every remaining dollar to The Lea's Foundation for Leukemia Research where I am a Management Committee member.

Please consider donating to this cause. Anything you can give will be very much appreciated. I will kick off the campaign by donating $1,000. Thank you in advance for your support.