Craig Gardner Benefit is set for Friday

A spaghetti dinner and silent auction benefit event for local man Craig Gardner, who is battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma will take place Friday at the Eagles Club, 202 1st Street.

The fundraiser will be hosted by the Friends of Havre Public Schools and the Havre Sector U.S. Border Patrol.

Leslie Staples, a family friend said she admires how strong Gardner is for his family.

“Every time I see every member of that family, they’re just happy — they have good smiles on their faces and they’re just keeping their attitudes positive,” she said.

Gardner was diagnosed in 2010. He was treated from September through December of that year.

In 2011, he was diagnosed with his first relapse of the lymphoma. Gardner and his wife, Lesley had to relocate their family so that Gardner could get treatment at the Huntsman’s Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah.

During a routine check-up in August, it was discovered that Gardner’s cancer had a second relapse. He is in the process of going through a 21-day cycle of chemotherapy for at least four cycles.

Once back in remission, he will need to go back to the Huntsman’s Cancer Institute for a stem-cell transplant from an outside donor. Due to the risk of donor-host rejection, Gardner will have to stay in Utah for at least 100 days after the transplant.

Gardner and his wife will be responsible for providing their own housing during the majority of that time. Lesley Gardner will be trying to maintain two households: one for her husband and one for their children who will be staying in Havre with her parents.

The Gardner's have four children, all of which attend Havre Public Schools.

The doors to this benefit open at 5 p.m., the dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the auction will follow.

For more information, contact Holly Bitz or Staples at 265-9671.