DIXFIELD — A benefit dinner and auction will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 8, for a Regional School Unit 10 employee who has recently undergone lung cancer surgery.

The benefit will support bus driver and custodian Linda Hamel, who has been out of work for a few months, said Julie Carlow, who also works for RSU 10.

“Right now, she’s feeling pretty weak and tired,” Carlow said Wednesday afternoon. “I try to talk to her every other day, and last I heard, she was going in for a chemo treatment. I know she wants to try and make it to the benefit dinner. It all depends on how she’s feeling.”

The idea for the dinner came from head custodian Scott White, Carlow said, and other RSU 10 employees have stepped up to help organize it.

“I’ve helped with benefits before, but this is the first one that we’ve held for Linda,” Carlow said. “We all help each other out here. It doesn’t matter who you are; we need to start doing things like this for anybody who needs help.”

A Chinese auction and a silent auction will be held, with all items donated by RSU 10 employees, residents and area businesses, Carlow said.

“Without the help of the businesses, this wouldn’t be possible,” she said. “They’ve really pulled through for us. I can’t thank everyone enough for all that they’ve done. I’m just grateful for how everyone stepped up.”

There also will be a trailer outside the school accepting bottle donations, Carlow said.

Advance tickets for the dinner portion of the benefit can be purchased from the head custodian in any Dirigo school building or from Terri Cox at the Central Office of Dirigo High School.

Tickets will cost $5, though Carlow said no ticket is necessary to participate in either auction.

For more information, call Carlow at 418-9156 or White at 418-7501.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com