Saturday afternoon brought hundreds from the community to the Highway 268 Grill for a benefit dinner and cruise-in for L. G. Reynolds.

Old classic cars were on display for people to mill around and inspect and barbecue plates were sold in an effort to help raise money to help Reynolds with his mounting medical bills. Reynolds has been diagnosed and receiving treatment for mesothelioma.

Reynolds has been a local resident since exiting the Marines after a six year stint, in 1979. He and his wife, Mary Jane, have raised two children, Michael Minton and Angie Cabe.

Reynolds worked throughout the community as an employee of Sidden Painting for 28 years. The Reynolds once owned the Highway 268 Grill and now works there as an employee.

"Mom doesn't get to work many hours anymore because Dad has constant medical visits to Winston-Salem, Duke, and Salisbury to the Veterans hospital," son Michael said. "He's on oxygen 24 hours a day and can't get around very well anymore. Even though he has some retirement, it's not enough for the 2 -3 trips they have to take to the doctors per week along with the extra hospital and medicine bills, above the household expenses.

Having these people come out and purchase a plate of barbecue to help them is a humbling experience. We want to thank them for all their support."

Reynolds is a cheerful soul who was surrounded by friends on Saturday. Tony Darnell, one of Reynolds long time friends, described him as a "pretty good all around fellow." Linda and Harold Park have known Reynolds for 6 - 7 years and agreed that L. G. is a good man.

Local singing artists came out in support offering their talents to all who attended. Roger Darnell, William Souther, the band, Blackwater, and Tristan Davis all lent their voices to be heard.

A country ham was donated by Heritage Care to be raffled off along with a gas card donated by Lisa Ladd's husband.

"You don't know who all your friends are until you experience something like this," Reynolds said. "There's a great turnout tonight and I'm very grateful for the support. It's times like these that the goodness in people shows."

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a very rare form of lung cancer that arises in the mesothelium.

The mesothelium is made up of parietal and visceral membranes, thin layers of tissue, which surround organs and body cavities, such as the lungs or abdomen. The visceral membrane immediately surrounds the organ, and the parietal membrane is a sac covering the visceral membrane. The visceral and parietal membranes that make up the mesothelium.

This fluid helps organs move easily among surrounding structures. In the case of the lung, it helps reduce friction between the lung and chest wall during normal breathing as the lung expands.

There are many different kinds of mesothelioma treatments that can be used to treat the symptoms of Mesothelioma and to deal with the many effects of this serious illness. And while there is no known cure for mesothelioma yet, there are other methods that can be used to help lengthen the expected lifespan of the person that is afflicted with the disease.