By Ray Richardson
I met Don Campbell almost 25 years ago. It was just before Christmas. Don and his band were singing Christmas songs at the Maine Mall and bringing great joy to all who had gathered to hear.
One of those people was my very young son Conner. At one point, he turned to me and said, “Hey Dad, you think he will sing Rudolph?” I replied, “Let’s go ask him.”
We walked over and in between songs, Conner asked Don if he would sing Rudolph? Don replied (I will never forget it), “Only if you sing it with me.”
Conner is many things. A great son, a wonderful husband and father, an amazing Realtor and so on. One thing he is not, however, is a man who sing a tune. Yet, there he was, with hundreds gathered around, singing his five-year-old heart out, with the great Don Campbell.
Afterward, Don gave him a few CDs, a shirt, and a few other items. From then on, when Don saw Conner, he remembered his name and said hello. I told my wife Dee Dee, this man has such a good heart, I have got to get to know him … and we have been friends ever since.
Fast forward to today and Don’s heart continues to bring goodness to everyone around him. He is a consummate musician, beloved in Maine and wherever he plays his unique brand of music.
Three years ago, knowing how cancer has impacted almost everyone, either because they have had it or because someone they love has, Don Campbell’s big heart, once again, led him to do something wonderful for his fans and the public. Working with his band’s manager, Kristen DeQuattro, they came up with a unique idea to raise money to help those fighting cancer and have a good time while doing it. From their brainstorming, the Flotilla to Fight Cancer was born and is now looked forward to, each year, in August.
Three years ago, they kicked off the Flotilla to Fight Cancer. This event is a concert on Casco Bay, only accessible by boat. It takes place right on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The stage is two incredibly beautiful lobster boats, docked stern-to-stern and the audience is the bevy of boats, floats, paddle boards and whatever else people can use to get out on the water and hear the 4-hour concert. Having attended this year, with my beautiful wife Dee Dee, and our friends, Jay Goodrich – the Captain – along with Mike and Connie Mercer, I can tell you this is an experience you do not want to miss next year.
Over 300 boats gathered that day. The party was on, and the generosity of the boaters showed, as the money flowed … along with more than a few adult beverages. The concert, just off Cow Island, in Casco Bay, was a day no one who attended will soon forget.
The first year, the Don Campbell Band raised just over $32,000, with all the proceeds going to the Maine Cancer Foundation. In year two, they saw a big jump in donations, as they exceeded $53,000. For year three, there was great anticipation about what could be accomplished, and the public did not disappoint.
This year, the Don Campbell Band, along with an amazingly generous public, raised $82,317. As the day began to turn to night, the Band knew they were close to $70,000 and the boaters joined in the excitement. As the concert began to close, donations were pouring in, and the total approached $75,000.
The Don Campbell Band is also a regular at the Royal Anchor (RA) in Old Orchard Beach on most Sunday afternoons during the summer and early autumn. The staff at the RA were so excited about the generosity of the donors, they offered to donate half their tips from that Sunday’s concert to the Flotilla to Fight Cancer. When the owners of the RA heard about their generosity, they offered to match whatever their staff donated.
That Sunday was one of the RA’s biggest crowds of the summer and the patrons were very generous. Between the staff’s donation and the match by the owners, the Royal Anchor donated $4,000 from that Sunday afternoon.
Their contribution brough the 2023 Flotilla to Fight Cancer’s total donation to the Maine Cancer Foundation to $82,317. Simply an amazing contribution that will help so many.
The money raised will help those fighting cancer get rides to Chemo, or radiation. It will help them with the cost of their medical supplies. The money will also help cover the cost of co-pays and co-insurance.
The battle to fight cancer is not just fought at the doctor’s office or the hospital. It is also fought at the kitchen table, as families gather to figure out how to pay the bills associated with their loved one’s illness. Thanks to Don Campbell and his wonderful band, those burdens are now a little easier to endure.
“We are humbled by the outpouring of support from our community,” said Don Campbell. “It’s incredible to witness how music can bring people together for such a meaningful cause; the generosity of our friends, fans, neighbors, business owners, and others has surpassed our wildest expectations.”
Those words are all true Don. They do not, however, tell the entire story. The real story is your generous heart, always bringing goodness wherever you go and with whatever you do. You gave everyone an opportunity to be our best selves, to be generous, to have fun and to remember that there are those among us who are fighting the battle of their lives.
Thank you, Don Campbell, Kristen DeQuattro, and the entire Don Campbell Band family. Your efforts made us all a little closer to the people we want to be on that day. I speak for everyone when I say, “Thank you and we cannot wait for next year. Let’s raise $100,000 in 2024.”
