By Renee Worthing 

Staff Writer

When Standish resident Kim Croteau’s mother, Anna Teele, was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, Croteau wanted to do something to support the search for a cure. 

“I knew I wanted to do something from the minute I heard her speak the words, ‘It’s cancer,’ but I just didn’t have it in me at that time,” she said.

After her mother died at age 51 on Jan. 7, 2006, Croteau said she “spiraled out of control” until one morning in December 2006 when she woke up with the words “Cure 4 Cancer Concerts” in her head.

“I knew it was time to do something about the horrid disease that takes too many good people away too young,” Croteau said. 

Cure 4 Cancer Concert (C4CC) was created – a series of benefit concerts in memory of Croteau’s mother and a way to raise money for cancer research. Croteau promotes the concerts, gathers items to be raffled off and sends the proceeds to Camp Sunshine and other local cancer charities. The first official concert Oct. 6, 2007 at Memory Lane Dance Hall in Standish sold out before the band “Riot Act” finished its first song, she said.

When Springvale resident and “The Local 109” band member Lisa Willis was perusing MySpace Web sites about six months ago, she happened to notice Croteau’s C4CC MySpace. The site caught Willis’ eye because in 2003 her father, Sanford resident Gerard “Lionel” Lemay was diagnosed with parotid gland cancer, a cancer that strikes in the salivary glands.

She said it is an “unusual” cancer and has resulted in her dad undergoing two rounds of radiation. He is currently on his third round of chemotherapy. He has also undergone three surgeries. In September 2007, he had surgery that included removal of facial nerves on the right side of his face, leaving his face “droopy.”

“It stole his smile and his whistle,” Willis said.

Willis said her dad was an avid outdoorsman who always whistled. He didn’t drink or smoke, instead finding enjoyment in cooking and eating, but cancer has taken away the pleasure of food and eating, Willis said.

“He’s still happy, but there’s no outward reflection of it. He can’t smile like he used to. His eyes still twinkle though,” she said.

The surgery also required the removal of quite a bit of tissue, distorting his features.

“Sometimes he says he feels like a monster,” she said. “I tell him he’s still handsome to me. He’s my dad.”

She said she often accompanies her dad to his medical appointments at cancer centers in Boston.

“There are millions of people affected by cancer,” she said. “I see so many people fighting this disease. It really affects their quality of life.”

Despite what the cancer and the treatment have taken from Lemay, Willis said her dad chooses to live.

“He loves life and he loves his family,” she said.

Willis said she spends a lot of time with her dad and they spend a great deal of time talking about life.

“He always says, ‘I’ve had pretty good run of it,’” she said.

She said she has always been involved in music and singing. For several years she coordinated with friends to perform at the Waban Jam, an annual fundraising event for Camp Waban in Sanford. By 2005, she organized The Local 109 for the event. The ensemble included her husband Joe, the band’s original drummer Brian Richards and lead guitarist Tony White. She said Richards had other commitments and time constraints that required him to back out of the band. Waterboro resident Art Stevens auditioned and has been with The Local 109 since, Willis said.

She said she has a gift, her musical talent with an acoustic guitar and her voice.

“I’m thankful for the gift I was born with,” she said.

She said the band plays locally for community events such as Sanford’s Fourth of July celebration at Number One Pond.

“We like to give back to the community,” she said. “Everyone in the band is very giving.”

When she saw Croteau’s C4CC MySpace page, Willis sent Croteau a message. The two women began sending messages back and forth on the social networking Web site. Taking a cue from Croteau, Willis is organizing a local benefit concert at Big Daddy’s in Acton Nov. 8, as part of the C4CC series in Acton. She said her father is the inspiration for putting the concert together with Croteau’s help.

“My dad and all the people,” she said.

She said a C4CC concert seemed like a perfect opportunity to not only give back to the community, but to do something meaningful for a matter close to her heart. But, Willis isn’t the only The Local 109 band member whose life has been touched by cancer.

“Art Stevens lost his mom to breast cancer,” she said.

All of the bands in the C4CC concert in Acton are donating their time and talent, Willis said.

During the concert, she said she wants to acknowledge people with cancer or those whose lives have been touched by it. She said she hopes people come up on stage, between band sets, to tell their story.

“I want to recognize and embrace them,” she said, as tears filled her eyes.

She said Big Daddy’s owner and Acton resident Pat Hannon was someone she only knew from The Local 109 gigs there. When she approached him about using Big Daddy’s as the venue for the C4CC, he was “all over it” and began planning for the event and making improvements at the restaurant/lounge. Hannon improved the sound system, replaced the dance floor area and bought two airport shuttle vans to offer free shuttle service for groups of 10 or more to the Nov. 8 event.

“This way, people can drink and have a good time, but not be driving,” Willis said.

The band lineup includes another band impacted by cancer – South Portland’s “Sam Anderson Band” (formerly “Lighthead”).

“One of their band members had colon cancer,” Willis said.

C4CC will also include runner up in the 2008 Battle of the Bands, Rochester band “Chapter 11,”  Kennebunk’s “The Lower Village People,” south Portland’s “Road Scholars” and Scarborough’s “Face Down.” Willis described the music as “classic to current rock and some country and southern rock.”

Camp Sunshine will receive 50 percent of the proceeds from the concerts – the other half will go to local cancer charities throughout New England, Willis said.

She said she is amazed there is no cure for cancer and hopes the proceeds from C4CC in Acton will help find a cure.

“We cured polio,” she said. “We’ve found cures for so many diseases, but not this one.”

As for her dad, he will attend the event that he inspired.

“It’s not his kind of music, but he’s going,” she said.

Cure 4 Cancer Concert at Big Daddy’s in Acton

(across from the Acton Fairgrounds).

Admission price: $10 per person

5 to 6 p.m. – Sam Anderson Band

6:15 to 7:15 p.m. – Chapter 11

7:30 to 8:30 p.m. – The Lower Village People

8:45 to 9:45 p.m. – Road Scholars

10 to 11 p.m. – The Local 109

11:15 to 12:15 – Face Down