The Best Bartender the World Ever Saw

Hey Y'all,

Thanks for coming here.

My dad is one of the best guys you'd ever meet. Anybody will tell you—hell, he raised more than half of Dallas himself.

I don't even know where to begin. I'll tell you that my dad is in the "Bartender Magazine" bartender hall of fame. Not many people have this title. He's got a big old ring to prove it, too.

I first worked with my old man on New Year's Eve when I was 13 at a place called Ruggerri's Ristorante in Dallas, Texas. Everybody loved him, and everybody wanted all of his attention. He commanded the whole room, I honestly thought I was the son of a movie star. There were pictures of my dad with every celebrity who ever came through Texas on all the walls. It was magic to say the least.

Bartenders don't age too well in this country.

My dad worked six days a week during the school year, and then seven days a week when it was football season. Five of those days he worked from 11am-3am... everyday. That's right, he worked five double shifts every week, and then on Saturdays he didn't have to go in until 5. During football season he worked Sundays too, where he was bartending one of the private suites owned by some billionaire who wanted to have the best bartender in Dallas as his plaything for an extra $100 a week.

That's right, $100 to have my dad for a whole Sunday. It killed me not having those Sundays with him.

Now, my dad has cancer. Metastatic stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his hip bone, skull, rib cage, and spine. He's on chemo, after having gone through 49 radiation treatments and hormone therapy. If the chemotherapy doesn't work he has to be tested to see if he has a certain antigen to try one last round of treatment.

I don't know anyone else's dad who worked as hard as my dad did, as many hours as he did, and for as long as he did.

My dad is a good man. He is what good men are made of, and there are few good men these days.

I don't think I need to tell anyone how terrible cancer is, or how awful our medical system is in this country, we all know.

We all feel it.

I am starting this fundraiser to alleviate some of the mounting bills, and to try to fly home a few more times to see my family.

My mom Debbie, my sister Robbi, and my soon to be brother-in-law Austin all help with taking care of my dad.

With a little money I can be home some more to help with some of the helping.

I am trying to raise $25,000 to make a few flights, help my mom and my sister and Austin pay for some gas, car costs getting my dad back and forth, and to have a week or two off (hopefully a little more) to just hang out with my dad on the couch and watch Ancient Aliens with him.

A model for all men, I'm hoping to get a little more time with one of the best guys ever.

Thanks for all of your support everyone,

Justin Skrakowski