A little help from his friends

RAYMOND – Sandy Winde has made a lot of friends through his involvement in Raymond athletics, Boy Scouts and church. Now, those friends are coming to his aid in a massive show of support for Winde, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last August.

Friends have re-roofed Winde’s house on Main Street in Raymond, finished a remodeling job on his kitchen, and raised thousands of dollars through numerous fundraisers hosted throughout the area since last fall. Last Saturday night’s benefit spaghetti fundraiser at North Windham Union Church drew more than 100 people and raised $700.

Winde, a general contractor who friends said is always quick to lend a helping hand, is amazed at the outpouring of love he’s received from his friends during his own time of need.

“It’s all different people having different events for him. He has touched a lot of people,” said Dennis Dexter, one of the organizers of last Saturday’s supper.

Tom Wiley, involved with Winde for years in Cub Scout Pack 800 and Boy Scout Troop 800, both based in Raymond, said Winde is most deserving of the support.

“Always root for the underdog and never give up are things Sandy has taught me, and you can’t forget the little guy, everyone’s important. And that’s why you’re seeing this outpouring,” Wiley said. “Because he is a friend to all. No person is too small. Everybody has a reason, everyone has a strength. You just have to find it. And he’s willing to invest that time in people, especially in kids. And he’s given of himself to the kids and the betterment of the community.”

With so much happening and so many people involved, Wiley said friends have created a Facebook page, “Sandy Winde for Life,” telling Winde’s story, documenting past fundraising events in photographs and announcing upcoming ones.

“Sandy’s a friend to all and he would give you the shirt off his back. I know that’s a cliche?, but it’s very true,” Wiley said. “And he’s always there for people, so people are there for him now.”

Wiley said money raised goes to support the Winde family, with wife, Kathy, and four boys, two of whom, Ethan and Travis, attend Windham High School. The other two boys are in college.

“We’re raising money to support the family as he goes through his treatments, to keep the lights on, keep the bills paid, and to show love,” Wiley said.

In addition to money and donations of labor for house projects, a friend of a friend helped turn Winde on to pharmaceutical trials for a new medical treatment for pancreatic cancer.

“So it’s just incredible what everyone has done,” he said.

The Rev. Mark Geddicks, who leads the Windham Baptist Church where the Winde family are members, has also been by Winde’s side during the difficult last six months. He was there late last summer when a group of friends met to discuss how they could help Winde.

“Right when Sandy got diagnosed we pulled together a group of us at Jordan-Small Middle School,” Geddicks said. “We met in the cafeteria over there and said, what can we do to help, because we knew he’s an independent contractor, he’s going to need help. We came up with a whole bunch of ideas. And it was just a neat team of people who got involved.”

Geddicks’ wife was diagnosed and treated about three years ago for breast cancer, so Geddicks said he can relate to what Winde and his family are going through.

“I’ve been able to walk more closely with him and his wife, Kathy, through diagnosis,” he said. “He’ll drop in here regularly through the week and we’ll just talk. So I just get the privilege as his pastor to walk along with him, and I know there’s a lot of people who love him.”

Geddicks praises how others have come to Winde’s side holding benefit suppers as well as other creative events such as a haircut-a-thon, bottle drive, craft fair, one-pitch softball tourney, fashion show and even a street dance.

“These are just really neat things,” Geddicks said. “The whole community, there’s just so many people involved on this, so many events that have gone on over the last six months.”

One particularly moving tribute, Geddicks said, was the Windham High School wrestling team’s decision to dedicate their 2012-2013 winter season to Winde. It’s the first time the team has dedicated a season to an individual.

According to coach Kurt Pelletier, Winde’s two sons at the school are on the wrestling team, and they and their teammates approached Pelletier last fall regarding the dedication gesture. Pelletier approved the idea and had T-shirts made up that read: “Windham wrestles for Sandy Winde” on the back and “Sandy Winde for Life” printed on the front along with an emblem of the Windham eagle.

The shirts, printed at Bob the ScreenPrinter in Windham, were purple signifying pancreatic cancer and were used during warm-ups.

“He has two great kids, and I tell ya, once Sandy found that out, he was in awe. Very happy, very honored,” Pelletier said.

And since Greely and Gray wrestlers travel with Windham’s team, they, too, wore similar warm-up shirts, except, Pelletier said, their shirts read, “Gray Wrestles for Sandy Winde” and “Greely Wrestles for Sandy Winde.”

Winde couldn’t be more thrilled with the support, and says it’s coming in handy.

“Overwhelmed really,” Winde responded when asked how he feels about his friends’ efforts. “It’s just amazing. It’s incredible. The smallest to the largest gestures, they’re just amazing.”

Winde said his wife got a full-time job in a local school system shortly after his diagnosis “so that was a blessing. Being a self-employed contractor, there’s not a lot of money set aside in the coffers, you know. And people have really come to my aid. And it’s crazy.”

For more on how to help the community effort, go here.

As he battles pancreatic cancer, Raymond resident Sandy Winde is backed by many in the community, who organized a benefit dinner at the North Windham Union Church last weekend. Friends of the longtime community leader have come together to raise money and offer support for Winde’s family as he fights the disease. Photo by Rich Obrey