LINCOLNVILLE — The community at its best and strongest turned out Saturday, May 23, for the Super Chicken Bar-B-Que and Great Big Auction, a fundraiser for Justin Hills, a longtime member of Camden First Aid Association, Camden Police, Rockland Police, and Lincolnville firefighter — and just plain good friend and neighbor.

Justin is battling Hodgkin's Lymphoma and facing personal and financial challenges. To help him and his family during this difficult time, the Lincolnville Fire Department held the event at the Lincolnville Fire Station on Route 52. The barbeque started at 12 p.m. and the 298 chickens were gone not even 45 minutes later. But that didn't stop folks from gathering at long tables that stretched down the length of the new fire station, to visit with each, eat dessert and bid on a long list of auction items. Crazy things happened (not too unexpected in Lincolnville) like Town Manager David Kinney getting his head-shaved, raising approximately $500 with that alone.

Or, the Lincolnville Fire Department agreeing to deliver Warren children to their school one morning in a fire truck.

"Guess Lincolnville's going to Warren," said Auctioneer Rosey Gerry.

At 2 p.m., Rosey stepped to the front of the room and began a live auction that got louder and rowdier as that afternoon went on. Some lucky bidders will be receiving daily ice cream throughout this coming season, others got lobster and oil, or a week in a camp in Patten. Others will have the chance to go into the woods with the High Street Boyz, learn about hops, shoot guns and stuff like that.

In the end, the fire department raised $31,000.

“Wow, the word that incorporates everything I felt Saturday is 'surreal',” said Justin Hills. “Just standing there, seeing everyone, was overwhelming. I didn’t know I knew so many people.”

Justin is not used to being on the receiving end. Usually, he is on the road, helping people out of difficult predictaments.
 
“It was a hard pill to swallow, this situation, because normally and in the past I have been the first one to do this for anyone else," he said. "I worked tirelessly on other people’s events, and to see people do this for me has been really overwhelming. It gives me a new appreciation for what other people go through."
 
Expenses that the money will help pay for include paying remaining balances on the chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He traveled to Augusta every day for four weeks for radiation, as well as on a one-week hospital stay.

Other expenses the money raised goes toward includes covering the cost of going twice-weekly to an anticoagulation clinic to remedy blood clots caused by the chemotherapy.

Justin's prognosis is good. He is currently clear of cancer. He  finished treatments three weeks ago, and has an appointment with the oncologist April 11 to go over the plans for the future, how often to have testing done.

“I would like to give a huge thank-you to everyone who worked the event, and who came and supported the whole thing. Just wow,” he said.