AUBURN - In the more than 20 years that Clide “Al” Densley has been an employee at TRW, he has made many friends along the way.
“I've known him for a long time,” said Cindy Wilkinson, a co-worker. “We used to work at the plant in Union Springs together and then when that plant closed, we were both lucky enough to get jobs here in Auburn.
“He is a third shift maintenance worker and we both are on the board of directors for the International Chemical Workers Union Local 192, he is a vice president. So we've known each other a long time and have become good friends.”
In January, Densely began to be troubled by extreme back pain and visited a chiropractor.
He later found out that the pain was actually caused by renal cell cancer that had begun to grow in a bone in his back.
After undergoing surgery to try to remove the growth, Densely's doctors decided he needed radiation therapy.
“We almost lost him,” Wilkinson said. “He started to lose a lot of blood during the surgery.”
Wilkinson, joined by fellow TRW employee Cindy Laurie Kilmer, decided to get together to do something to help Densely out in this trying time.
Together, they decided to host a spaghetti dinner and raffle fundraiser at the Ukrainian National Club.
“We are all like a family at TRW,” Wilkinson said. “When one of us hurts we all hurt, that is really how it is for us. So we decided to do this. He can't work right now, so we wanted to do something to help raise some money for him to live and for the doctors visits and everything he is going through right now.”
Joined by master of ceremonies Art Wenzel, Wilkinson and Kilmer began knocking on a lot of doors to gather support for the benefit and the community came through.
“We got so much support for this,” Kilmer said. “Our own company TRW gave us a lot of support and so many places and people came through and really pitched in for all of this. To help us get this together. Art pointed us on the right direction and gave us a place to start, but we went out and knocked on a lot of doors to get all this together and everyone was just so incredibly supportive I can't thank everyone enough for that.”
Places like Mr. Pizza and Rose's Bakery pitched in to lend a helping hand, joining many other local businesses that donated food, money and raffle prize items.
The banquet room of the Ukrainian National Club was filled with friends, family and well wishers.
“It is great to see the way people are supporting this,” Wilkinson said. “There are a lot of people we work with here, we are really like one big family, but there are a lot of people we don't work with either that have come out and are showing a lot of support.”
Among those coming out were Densely's children Gregg and Michelle.
“It is really nice to see what everyone has done to make this happen,” Gregg said. “His co-workers and friends have really done a lot to get this together for him and I think he would really love to see what they have done.”
Unfortunately, Densely was unable to attend. Gregg and Michelle said that he was feeling a little too sore to make it out, but was in good spirits.
“He has his good days and his bad days,” Michelle said. “But he has a really good attitude and a lot of hope, there is a lot of hope and I think seeing what everyone has done for him will really make him happy.”
“He is a third shift maintenance worker and we both are on the board of directors for the International Chemical Workers Union Local 192, he is a vice president. So we've known each other a long time and have become good friends.”
In January, Densely began to be troubled by extreme back pain and visited a chiropractor.
He later found out that the pain was actually caused by renal cell cancer that had begun to grow in a bone in his back.
After undergoing surgery to try to remove the growth, Densely's doctors decided he needed radiation therapy.
“We almost lost him,” Wilkinson said. “He started to lose a lot of blood during the surgery.”
Wilkinson, joined by fellow TRW employee Cindy Laurie Kilmer, decided to get together to do something to help Densely out in this trying time.
Together, they decided to host a spaghetti dinner and raffle fundraiser at the Ukrainian National Club.
“We are all like a family at TRW,” Wilkinson said. “When one of us hurts we all hurt, that is really how it is for us. So we decided to do this. He can't work right now, so we wanted to do something to help raise some money for him to live and for the doctors visits and everything he is going through right now.”
Joined by master of ceremonies Art Wenzel, Wilkinson and Kilmer began knocking on a lot of doors to gather support for the benefit and the community came through.
“We got so much support for this,” Kilmer said. “Our own company TRW gave us a lot of support and so many places and people came through and really pitched in for all of this. To help us get this together. Art pointed us on the right direction and gave us a place to start, but we went out and knocked on a lot of doors to get all this together and everyone was just so incredibly supportive I can't thank everyone enough for that.”
Places like Mr. Pizza and Rose's Bakery pitched in to lend a helping hand, joining many other local businesses that donated food, money and raffle prize items.
The banquet room of the Ukrainian National Club was filled with friends, family and well wishers.
“It is great to see the way people are supporting this,” Wilkinson said. “There are a lot of people we work with here, we are really like one big family, but there are a lot of people we don't work with either that have come out and are showing a lot of support.”
Among those coming out were Densely's children Gregg and Michelle.
“It is really nice to see what everyone has done to make this happen,” Gregg said. “His co-workers and friends have really done a lot to get this together for him and I think he would really love to see what they have done.”
Unfortunately, Densely was unable to attend. Gregg and Michelle said that he was feeling a little too sore to make it out, but was in good spirits.
“He has his good days and his bad days,” Michelle said. “But he has a really good attitude and a lot of hope, there is a lot of hope and I think seeing what everyone has done for him will really make him happy.”
