Community comes together for Troy “T-Bone” Berry benefit
COSHOCTON – Once again, friends and family of Troy “T-Bone” Berry came together to raise money for a hometown guy. The Coshocton Moose Lodge was full as people gathered to bid on one of the many items local businesses had donated, to eat a delicious supper and enjoy the music of “Beer Money.”
The 5th Annual Troy Berry benefit was held Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Moose Lodge. According to Jamie Shample, a long-time friend of Berry and one of the organizers of the event, more than 115 items were donated for the auction. Shample has been involved since the first benefit and said, “When you have a friend that needs help, you do what you can to help. This year, we have donations from a Major League Baseball player and an NFL coach. All of the money we raise goes right to Troy for his needs.”
Shample and other organizers want to thank all of the local businesses and individuals who donated items, time and money to make this benefit such a success. They especially want to thank Terry Taylor for the banners and t-shirts to be sold, D and D Construction and the Coshocton Moose Lodge.
Dawn Berry, Troy’s wife, is so thankful for the help the community has given her husband and family since his diagnosis with MS more than 15 years ago.
“Unless you have a family member with a handicap, you can’t imagine how expensive the needed equipment is,” she said. “Even with insurance to help, there is always something else that needs to be paid for. We had to have home modifications made to accommodate Troy’s wheelchair and a van to transport him.”
She said life is difficult at times for her husband, but he is determined to be positive. They both believe there is always someone who has problems that are worse than theirs and they lean on each other, their family and their friends to live life to the fullest.
As the evening began, Troy Berry thanked everyone who came to support him and then called for his wife. “My wife keeps me going and our life isn’t all butterflies.” The crowd laughed and the auction began with people bidding on all sorts of items. Ohio State Buckeye items were the most popular and the crowd wasn’t disappointed in the choices they had that included OSU jewelry, apparel and many craft items.
Troy Berry said, “It is humbling to me that so many people want to help me. I just want to thank my friends, family, the people who donated items and the amazing people in Coshocton County for all of their support over the years.”
Category: People & Places
