A benefit lunch/dinner and raffle for Oxford native Kyle Cooper, who was diagnosed with esophageal cancer which recently spread to his brain, is set to take place at Elks Lodge in Addison Township on December 10 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Kathy Cooper, the wife of Kyle and an organizer of the benefit, said the proceeds are meant to serve as a means of financial support for Kyle.

Kyle was first diagnosed with esophageal cancer in July of 2015. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy for several months, doctors declared his cancer to be in a state of remission in December 2015.

In May 2016, several tumors were found by doctors in Kyle’s brain after he began experiencing severe headaches.

According to Kathy, Kyle has worked hard to raise his 17-year-old daughter, Delanie, who means the world to him.

“He’s a wonderful, loving dad. He raised his daughter, who is disabled, and cared for her without a lot of (financial) help. He’s so loving and caring. He’s always made sure that everything is taken care of. He’s just a straight-forward guy…The biggest thing is we want him to have his treatment,” said Kathy.

Kathy said doctors at Troy Beaumont are currently seeking chemotherapy which would surpass the blood-brain barrier and affect the two large masses located there.

In the meantime, he has been undergoing regular treatments of Herceptin, which blocks the chemical signals that can stimulate uncontrolled growth. For the treatment to work, Kyle must undergo the treatment every 21 days, with each costing over $4,500.

Because of the financial and physical burdens of his treatments, Kathy said Kyle recently had to surrender his childhood home on Ensley St. and went on disability from the job he had held for the last 25 years, furthering their struggle. Despite these trying circumstances, Kathy said it wasn’t easy to convince Kyle to accept financial help from others.

“He didn’t want a GoFundMe page… (He) felt like, if somebody was going to help, we’d want it to be somebody that knows who he is and what he’s about… He’s very well-known and he’s a great guy. He doesn’t have a wicked bone in his body. All he does is help everyone. For years, he used to pull the floats at the Christmas parade in Oxford,” said Kathy.

She said the group of organizers are hoping to raise enough to help cover some medical expenses and towards the care of Kyle during his battle with brain cancer.

The event will take place starting at 11 a.m. at 3100 Pond Rd. in Leonard. Each ticket will include a lunch at noon, consisting of macaroni and cheese, sloppy Joe sandwiches, cold salads, breadsticks, and pizza, or dinner at 5 p.m., consisting of mostaccioli, fried chicken, Swedish meatballs, various potato dishes, cold salads, corn, baked beans, and an open dessert table.

Other events throughout the day will include a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, gift raffles and a cash bar. Kathy said one of the large raffle prizes to be featured at the event will be four gift cards– each for a two-person, 18-hole golf outing at Mulberry Hills Golf Club in Oxford.

Many Oxford area businesses donated to the event, according to Kathy, including Simple Organics, ‘Wiches, Complete Auto Repair Inc., Lori’s Pet Paradise, and Roosters Men’s Grooming Center.

Tickets will be available at the door for $15 each. To purchase tickets prior to the event, contact Brittany Harrison at (248) 660-6544.

For those who are interested in making a donation but are unable to make it to the event, donations can be mailed to Kyle Cooper at P.O. Box 632, Leonard, MI 48367.