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Joel, a Boardman High School graduate, has stage 4 pancreatic cancer
Boardman alumni raise funds to aid fellow graduate
YOUNGSTOWN
A tight-knit group of Boardman High School alumni put their heads and hearts together to organize the Jammin’ for Joel spaghetti dinner and music festival Sunday at the B&O Station to help fellow graduate Joel Enright in his battle against Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
The classes of 1981-1985 at Boardman were and are a great group of friends, said Kate Rosati of Berlin Center, who along with Candice Larocca and Jeff Lorimer, organized the fundraiser to help offset expenses associated with Joel’s illness.
“We all were close friends in high school, and we still are,” said Rosati.
The Jammin’ for Joel event, featuring about a dozen local bands who donated their time and talent and plenty of good food and activities, attracted more than 1,000 patrons, with 715 pre-sale tickets sold, Rosati said.
Joel, 52, a 1983 graduate of Boardman High School and son of Richard Enright of Boardman, was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in May 2015 and has been on disability from his job at Ryan Carpet Sales & Service Inc. in Youngstown since December 2015. His cancer has spread to his liver and lungs.
Joel’s brother, Marty, who also works at Ryan Carpet, said, “These girls are phenomenal,” referring to Rosati and Larocca.
“He’s my best friend,” Marty said of his brother. Another brother, Richard, lives in the Chicago area.
Joel and his wife, the former Jennifer Love, a Youngstown Cardinal Mooney graduate and daughter of Judy and Richard Love of Boardman, have three children: Katie, 14;
Courtney, 10; and Colin, 8.
“This is great. It is a fantastic turnout,” Joel said of Jammin’ for Joel.
Joel credits his wife, who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Youngstown State University and is a nurse practitioner, with “pushing me through all the hoops with this cancer. I probably wouldn’t be alive if not for her.”
Joel described his cancer journey as very emotional.
“Every morning, I wake up depressed,” he said.
But, because he is not working, he was able to spend a lot of time this summer with his children being “Mr. Mom” running them to their activities.
Rosati and Larrocca thanked the people who attended the event, the bands and others who donated their time for it, everyone who donated, and St. Christine Parish, where Joel is a parishioner, for their generosity.
Those who want to help the Enright family financially can go to www.gofundme.com/295ue6sk and look for the “donate” prompt; or go to any Huntington Bank and donate to the benefit of Joel Enright.