Adam Figlow is a single father of four and a maintenance man at Ascension Parish in Batavia. Fellow parishioner and parish volunteer Sue Hartrick describes him as very humble, quiet, and "an extremely hard worker."
"You can ask him to do anything and say it doesn't have to be done right away," Hartrick said, "and then you turn around and it's done in a half hour."
But he has fallen on hard luck. In December, Figlow was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue cancer called spindle cell sarcoma.
Figlow said he first knew something was wrong one day in late summer, when he noticed a strange growth on his left arm.
"It never hurt or anything," he said. "It was just cosmetically annoying."
Since being diagnosed, he has undergone two surgeries and radiation therapy. His aunt and uncle, Kathy and Nick La Farnara, drove him to all of his appointments and stood by him through the surgeries, for which he expressed deep gratitude.
Figlow is set to return to work next month, but will have been out on disability for six months at that point. New York State disability payments have not been enough to keep up with Figlow's hospital bills and everyday living expenses.
That is why Ascension Parish will be hosting a spaghetti dinner, theme basket and 50/50 raffle on Saturday, May 31 from 5 until 7 p.m., with theme basket and raffle drawings starting at 7 p.m. The event will be at the parish's Slomba Hall, at 17 Sumner St. in Batavia.
Each meal will include spaghetti, meatball/sausage, salad, bread, dessert and a beverage.
Presale dinner tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children, or $8 at the door. Takeout will be available.
Hartrick, who has spearheaded the event from day one, has been overwhelmed by the generous response.
"I thought it would be fabulous if we could get 30 baskets (for the basket raffle)," Hartrick said. "As of now, we have 79 baskets and 33 gift cards."
A variety of theme baskets -- including dog and cat, camping, gardening, children's toy and lottery baskets -- have been donated by individuals and businesses in and around the Batavia area.
"We've gotten more generosity than I could ever imagine," Hartrick said. "I was hoping the parish would rally around Adam in his time of need. They have not rallied...they have soared."
"The heart of Batavia and the parish community is unbelievable," Figlow said. "I can't thank them enough...I'm just so appreciative of everybody."
Basket ticket costs are as follows:
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25 tickets for $5 for the less expensive baskets
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25 tickets for $10 for the more expensive ($25 or more in value)
Additionally, someone donated a handmade quilt depicting an outdoor scene. It has a value of about $200, and will be the object of a 50/50 raffle. People can buy tickets $2 apiece or three tickets for $5.
For more information, call Hartrick at 786-8198.
Figlow is pictured with his sons, Joe (13) and Noah (5). His daughter Ashanti and son Nicholas were unavailable for a photo.
