Events Organized To Help Local Battle Hodgkin’s

OCEAN CITY – Come out and get your party on to support a good cause, the Charles Keenan Relief Fund.

A golf tournament is being held at the Ocean City Golf and Yacht followed by an after party at Fager’s Island to raise funds for Charles Jeffrey Keenan on Nov. 7.

Keenan, 27, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in early September. He immediately entered into chemotherapy without the assistance of health insurance. He is a Stephen Decatur High School graduate and moved on to attend Elon University in North Carolina. He has been employed at Fager’s Island for the past couple of years as a bar back.

Fundraiser organizer, close friend, and bartender at Fager’s, Brandon Tolan has known Keenan since a young age when they started playing soccer together in elementary school.

Tolan along with the support of Fager’s Island and the Town of Ocean City are looking to raise funds to help defray Keenan’s medical bills.

“We are hoping for a big turnout to try to raise some money,” Tolan said. “Come and support a great person and a great friend.”

Fager’s Island General Manager Kevin Myers said that Keenan is part of the Fager’s Island family and they have all been wrestling with his diagnosis.

“Certainly Jeff’s [Keenan] world has been turned upside down,” he said. “We are trying to raise money and help him with treatment, at the same time walking that line asking people for money and help but still protecting his dignity and privacy as he is going through this.”

The Charles Keenan Relief Fund Golf Tournament starts at 11 a.m. on Nov. 7 and is $400 per foursome. There will be food, soft drinks and beer at the golf course included. Different sponsorships are being offered; platinum, gold, and silver. Donations for items at the after party’s live and silent auctions are being accepted. The tournament will be held rain or shine.

“What we are trying to do is ask for help back from the community with the golf event,” Myers said. “We are doing well with that, but we could still use some more teams.”

The after party at Fager’s Island is free to those who participated in the gold tournament or $25 at the door. It will be emceed by DJ Wax and so far live and silent auction items include gift cards, a night out on the town, golf accessories, an ocean kayak and autographed NFL memorabilia. The party will include unlimited beer and all you can eat BBQ.

“That entire $25 per person is going to go towards supporting his [Keenan] medical costs,” Myers said. “So people will be able to come in and have a night for $25. They are certainly going to get a value, but it is important that the $25 is all going to go towards him.”

Myers said the goal is to have at least 400 to 500 people attend the party at Fager’s.

“The thing is we ask people to come to Fager’s Island all the time and we have great support from the community for the business but this time we are going to ask for support for one of our staff members,” he said. “Everybody knows Fager’s Island and most people love coming here. The staff is what makes it the place that it is. Everybody that comes here and has a great time, he [Keenan] is a part of that.”

If you are interested in putting together a golf team, call Tolan at 443-235-7239 or email at brandontolan@yahoo.com by Nov. 1.  Tickets for the party will be available online at www.fagers.com or at the main bar at Fager’s Island. All proceeds will go to the relief fund.

Information can be found at Facebook.com/CJK Relief Fund.