Mark Stevens

By Cole Hobson
Times & Transcript Staff
Published Wednesday September 19th, 2007
Appeared on page A3
A night on the town drinking, eating, listening to great music and supporting a great cause sounds like a recipe for a good time, and it is exactly what those who heat to Kody's tavern in Moncton will be treated to on Friday night.

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Kody's, at 939 Mountain Rd., will host a benefit concert for Brent Daborn, 11, of Moncton who suffers from cerebral palsy, a disporder that affects body movement and muscle co-ordination and can lead to a variety of problems, including difficulty with motor skills.

Kim Daborn, Brent's mother, is a single parent who works full-time to support her son, but cannot afford the things Brent needs to live a complete and comftorable life. The government subsidizes Brent's primary power wheelchair, but it weighs 250 pounds and doesn't allow Brent to go to non-wheelchair accessible places, like over to a friend's house to play.

Daborn wants to buy her son a secondary manual wheelchair that will be lighter and more transportable.

She also want to renovate her house to make it wheelchair accessible, by designing a bathroom, bedroom and kitchen that would allow Brent to move around and do things on his own.

Daborn estimates a new wheelchair and house renovations will cost upwars of $50,000. There are also the costs associated with frequent trips to the children's hospital in Halifax, where Brent has had three different surgeries in the past 5 years.

Hearing of her situation, Kody;s decided to step in and help out.Manager Rudy Gillespie says they have done fundraisers for ailing children in the past and they aim to be a community-oriented bar.

Friday night's benefit concert will feature the music of Moncton's own Mark Stevens, along with a number of special guests. Admissions proceeds, bull-riding proceeds as well as $2 from every drink purchase will fo towards the Brent Daborn Cerebral Palsy Trust.

In addition, the Lakeville Lions Club has volunteered to run a barbeque and 50-50 draw.

They will also be selling tickets for a raffle on a custom made 2-seater 4x4 truck, which is licensed for the road and was built specifically as a fundraiser.

There will also be an auction with memorabilia from the visiting New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens among with the items up for grabs.

It is also rumoured that players from the Moncton Wildcats and the Islanders may make an appearance at the benefit concert.

Doors for the event open at 8 p.m. and those who come early will get a chance to meet Brent, as he will be at Kody's with Kim from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is $4.75 for men and there will be a voluntary cover charge for women, who usually get in free Fridays.

Gillespie says their goal for the event is to raise at least $5,000. - Times & Transcript