WENDELL — The Wendell community gathered at Deja Brew Cafe & Pub on a drizzly Saturday night not only to enjoy music, food and a bonfire, but most importantly, to raise money to help a neighbor who lost his home.
The event was a fundraiser for Robert Bowers, an 84-year-old Wendell resident whose historic home at 131 Wickett Pond Road burned down on July 2. Bowers, who has lived in the house since 1973, did not have home insurance.
After the community learned about the fire, Patti Scutari, owner of Deja Brew, decided to organize the fundraising event.
“I just felt so horrible about what happened to him,” Scutari expressed. “I thought, well, I’ve got the venue, we can do this.”
Scutari reported on Monday that $3,860 was raised at Saturday’s event, and an additional $3,000 was generated from pre-event donations.
The event, held from 4 to 11 p.m., featured local musicians and bands who played for free to support the effort: Lady Pop, Jan & Bo Henderson and Friends, and SpaceBar. Other local businesses such as Diemand Farm and Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co. donated raffle baskets to raise additional money. Scutari and the food truck vendor also agreed to contribute part of their businesses’ proceeds toward the cause.
As community members convened, Robert Bowers’ son, Jon Bowers, said that seeing so many people show up for his father meant something special.
“It’s everything,” he said when asked about the community support.
Robert Bowers has deep roots in Wendell. He previously served on the Wendell Fire Department as deputy chief. That history, Jon Bowers said, has contributed to his father being well-respected in town. “He’s receiving a lot of help because of that,” he added.
Scutari, sharing the community’s thoughts on Saturday, noted, “a lot of people have already said, ‘If I win [the raffle], I’m giving it all to him.’ … The Wendell Fire Department had also donated $500 toward the fundraiser in support of him.”
Donations came both from people who knew Robert Bowers well, as well as members of the community who haven’t formally met him.
Lissa Castillo, a new Wendell resident, donated to both the raffle and the bake sale, hoping the money raised would give Robert Bowers a chance to rebuild and return to his home.
“It’s just a tragedy that the lovely home burned down,” she said. The house was built in the 18th century and is one of the oldest in Wendell.
For Castillo, the community response in the wake of the fire illustrated the kind of town Wendell is. Although she has only been a resident for four months, she explained how everyone has made her feel welcome.
“I’m so impressed with this community since I joined,” she said. “Everybody’s so welcoming.”
Castillo said she experienced something different in Wendell as residents “pulled together to help one of their own.”
Similar sentiments also brought Shawnee Phillips, a former Wendell resident, back to Deja Brew. Although Phillips does not know Robert Bowers personally, she has seen him while hiking with her dogs in the Wendell State Forest and driving past his property.
As a former resident, Phillips said helping Robert Bowers simply felt natural.
With a wide range of ages in attendance at Deja Brew, Phillips voiced how the ambiance in Wendell is different from other towns.
“Everybody’s so eccentric. We all accept each other’s differences,” she said. “We might not all agree with each other, but we definitely support each other.”
Scutari emphasized that people who could not attend Saturday’s event had contributed to the fundraiser beforehand, either by buying raffle tickets or by dropping money into the donation box at Deja Brew. Additionally, a GoFundMe crowdfunding page remains active at tinyurl.com/RobertBowers. As of Monday morning, $12,570 had been raised on the online platform toward a $40,000 goal.
“It’s typical of Wendell,” Scutari shared. “We come out and help each other.”
That history of bringing people together makes Wendell feel like home. For Phillips, seeing the Wendell community has always felt heartwarming.
“It’s always like coming back to a hug,” she expressed.
Domenic Poli contributed reporting.