Ms. Kaye’s Benefit BBQ
By: Amber Ford, The Mountain Times
After suffering a serious stroke at the end of June, local legend and beloved bartender, Kaye Lessor, has been on the road to recovery with the help of family, friends, and her beloved mountain community. A blood clot on the left side of her brain caused a severe stroke, which has left her fighting to regain her strength and ability to work. After weeks and months out of commission, friends closest to Lessor decided to take action and give her the peace she needed financially to help with the recovery time. And the best way to do that in The Mt. Hood Villages is by hosting a benefit dinner filled with good food, community fellowship, and, of course, prizes.
Hosted generously by The Mt. Hood Lions Club, “Ms. Kaye’s Benefit BBQ” was held on Saturday, August 29th. A menu consisting of hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, cookies, and cobblers, was donated in part by The Mt. Hood Lions Club and Lessor’s employer, The Whistle Stop. With over 200 meals sold, community members made a resounding show of support for their beloved Kaye. Friends from all walks of life stood in line to greet their guest of honor, purchased pockets full of raffle tickets, and were overjoyed to see their friends present in such a magnificent show of support.
Planning for the event began shortly after Lessor’s stroke, with close friends and family Nichole Watts, Wendy Fisher, Cindi Sempert, Nicole Guyers, and Amber Ford, meeting regularly to organize and create a benefit that would financially support Lessor during her recovery. “Over the years Kaye has become a dear friend to me,” Fisher said. “From the start everyone in the community responded with personal donations, and donations from businesses were plentiful,” she said, adding “this outpouring of love and support for Kaye is why I’m proud to call this community home.”
Both individuals and local businesses between The Mt. Hood Villages and Government Camp opened up their wallets and contributed in abundance. Businesses such as The Whistle Stop, Charlie’s Mountain View, Mt. Hood Skibowl, The Hoodland Bazaar, The Skyway Bar and Grill, Mt. Hood Bicycle, Timberline Lodge, Chicali Cantina, Wander Free and Queer, Welches Mountain Building Supply, The Zigzag Inn, The Taco Shoppe, and Mt. Hood Roasters were just some of the businesses who offered up gift cards and baskets for raffle. All proceeds from raffled off items went directly to Lessor’s recovery fund and the prizes were highly sought after.
In the biggest show of support many community members have ever seen, Lessor’s benefit dinner was an overwhelming success. “Kaye and I have been friends for a long time, but when she had her stroke, it turns out that I was having my own health issues that prevented me from being able to visit her,” Sempert said. “We were both excited to finally see one another at the dinner,” she said, adding “the very first thing we said to each other after hugging was ‘this getting older isn’t for the weak.’” The benefit dinner raised enough funds to support Lessor’s much needed recovery time, giving her peace of mind while she navigates medical appointments and physical therapy. And while not many things leave her speechless (any regular patron of The Whistle Stop on any given Kaye shift will attest to that), the show of love and support for her did just that. “It was totally overwhelming,” she said. “I couldn’t believe that many people showed up and surprised me in so many ways,” she said, adding, “all of the donations, the love, and the encouragement meant so much and I just want to thank everyone.”
Watts, Sempert, Fisher, Guyer, and Ford would also like to thank all of the businesses and community members for showing their support. The benefit would not have been as successful in the betterment of Kaye without your kindness.