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'Bark in the Park' Raises Alzheimer's Awareness
Band of Brothers Unite to Fight Cancer 12/1/12
Tatum Guinn
CBS 7 News Reporter
December 1, 2012
tguinn@cbs7.com
Midland - Midland fire fighters came together tonight to host a Party in the Pasture, all to benefit a fellow fire fighter battling cancer.
Tonight's event started out just to be a BBQ in a parking lot and after the word got out, it grew into a full on music festival, all in the name of Lee Wise.
A band of brothers, that's how the Midland Fire Department defines themselves and whenever a brother is in need, the entire department is there for them.
That's exactly how members describe Captain Lee Wise.
"He's an excellent person on and off duty. He's caring, obviously because he's been caring for people he knows and doesn’t know for 27 years of his life," event coordinator Bryce Pruitt said.
"He's been the guy I call for anything," Eric Stewart, VP of the Professional Fire Fighters Association said.
Wise is currently battling his second round of cancer and is in need of a potentially life saving surgery.
"Chemo is not doing the job, so the doctor wants to do surgery, but insurance denied it," Pruitt said.
"We're doing everything we can to make sure he gets that surgery done," Stewart said.
A month of planning turned into the Party in the Pasture, a music festival to help raise funds for Cpt. Wise's surgery.
"We decided we were going to do a BBQ in a parking lot and see if we could raise a couple thousand dollars, so then I started calling some buddies of mine," Pruitt said.
Pruitt's phone calls turned out thousands of dollars worth of donations that helped make today's festival a reality and it was all for Cpt. Wise.
"He's a good guy, he would do the same thing we're doing for him, he'd do it for any of us," he said.
And just by the turn out of people, it is evident just how important Cpt. Wise is to his brothers.
All proceeds will go directly to the Wise family. More than $20 thousand dollars has been raised so far.
If you can’t attend the concert and still want to help out the firemen contact the department at (432) 553- 9343.