Community rallies around Billy Cravens

As a lifelong Canton resident, a former star athlete at Canton High School, and a longtime employee of the Canton Recreation Department, Billy Cravens has made himself quite a few friends in this town over the years.

Billy and Rose Cravens enjoy their trip to Jamaica in November.

And now many of those same friends are stepping up to the plate when he needs them the most, planning fundraisers and selling merchandise to assist Cravens in his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — an incurable, degenerative disease that causes muscle weakness and a host of other debilitating symptoms.

On Saturday, January 18, the newly formed charity organization Friends of Billy Cravens invites the Canton community to come celebrate “one of the best friends a person could have” at a fundraising party at the Canton Town Club.

Organized by Dennis Eary, Billy’s sister Carol Duggan, and other close friends and supporters, the party will feature lots of raffle prizes, a silent auction, food, and a “great many laughs,” with all proceeds benefiting Billy and his wife, Rose, to help them offset rising medical costs and lost wages.

The Town Club has agreed to donate the venue for the party, and Canton DJ Gary Titus will provide the entertainment while several area restaurants will supply the food.

Raffle and auction items include an iPad, a flat-screen TV, sports tickets, restaurant gift certificates, and much more. The Friends are also accepting additional raffle items, which can be submitted via the form available at friendsofbillycravens.com/raffle-donations.

According to the Friends website, donations could include either “tangible or intangible items,” ranging from tickets to cottage and hotel stays to assorted business services.

“If we can raffle, auction, or sell it on eBay to raise money for Billy, we will take it,” added the organizers, who are also soliciting monetary donations as well as corporate sponsorships ranging from $50 to $1,000.

The way Billy’s friends see it, holding a party is the least they can do to “help out this terrific guy whose smile alone has gotten many of us through a bad time.”

“If you live or grew up in Canton, chances are good that you know Billy Cravens,” states the Friends homepage at friendsofbillycravens.com. “If you raised your kids in Canton, odds are good they know him too. Whether it was preparing the fields that they play on, setting up or running the venues for Fourth of July celebrations or town block parties, or just cheering them on at sporting events, Billy has had a positive effect on your children’s lives. To know Billy is to love Billy, or as an old friend of ours would say, ‘If you can’t get along with Billy, then you just can’t get along.’”

Rose said she and Billy have both been amazed by the show of support from the Canton community, beginning with a CHS football fundraiser in September and a girls’ hockey event in October.

“I never thought I’d be on this side of [a fundraising effort],” she said. “It’s great, but it’s also a little overwhelming.”

As for her husband’s physical condition, Rose said it has unfortunately gotten “a lot worse” since the fall and there are now “more bad days than good days.”

“Billy’s ALS is progressing fast,” she said.

Billy, who turns 56 on Monday, has lost a considerable amount of weight over the past few months and now has trouble getting “from one place to another” without the aid of a cane or leg braces.

“Stairs are the worst,” said Rose. “He sleeps only a couple of hours at a time. Breathing is tough; eating is even worse … His speech is also getting worse. It’s hard to understand what he is saying sometimes.”

Billy had been taking the ALS drug Riluzole, which can slow the symptoms of the disease, as well as another experimental medication; however, he stopped taking them after he lost his appetite for food, concluding that he would “rather have one good year and try to eat instead of two bad years.”

Rose said it has been very difficult to watch her husband — a man once known for his athletic prowess — slowly getting “sicker and weaker in front of [her] eyes.”

“Every day is like a challenge for him,” she said. “It’s such a struggle just to get through the day.”

At the same time, Rose said they try to savor the time they have with one another and make a point to get out of the house and socialize with friends as often as possible. They even took his doctor’s advice and went on a trip, joining their friends in Jamaica for a “very relaxing vacation” this past November.

“I’m so glad that we were able to go,” said Rose. “We’d like to go back in March but we’ll have to see how Billy feels.”

For now, all they can do is continue to take life “one day at a time” while honoring the motto of the Friends of Billy Cravens and “never give up.”

“We are so blessed to have so many friends and family that have been there for us and help us when we need it,” said Rose. “We love them all.”

Tickets to the January 18 fundraiser can be purchased at the door or in advance at www.friendsofbillycravens.com. Donations can also be made online or by sending a check, payable to “The William Cravens Trust,” to Carol Duggan, 16 Robbin Rd., Canton, MA 02021. For more information, contact Dennis Eary at info@friendsofbillycravens.com or visit the Friends of Billy Cravens on Facebook.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jan 9 2014. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.