EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of The Herald's yearlong series of stories following three families affected by the Nov. 10 tornado in Clark and South Pymatuning Township.

Friends, family and spaghetti lovers raised nearly $1,000 Monday night for Rebecca Campbell, Tim Reeher and Ms. Campbell's sons, 15-year-old Alex Campbell and 23-year-old Nick Leech.

"It was very nice," Reeher said. "We had plenty of people who came out and there were and a lot of different people that we didn't even know."

Reeher, who uses a wheelchair, is disabled from a car accident when he was a teen. Ms. Campbell, his fiance, is a waitress at Carini's Restaurant, Pymatuning Township. Their home on Wynwood Drive in South Pymatuning Township was leveled by the tornado that swept through on Nov. 10.

The benefit at EZ's Tavern in Orangeville raised $887 for the family and a separate raffle was held for other tornado victims. One winner of a 50/50 raffle donated the winnings to the Reeher-Campbell family, raising the donation to $952.

Reeher said friends who planned the benefit expected a bigger turnout, but, considering it was a Monday night and close to Thanksgiving, he thought everything went well.

Friends Dr. James Bonanni, his wife, Tammi, and their three children sat at the head table with the family. The Bonannis live nearby but the tornado skipped over their house.

Gene and Sharon Zreliak, owners of EZ's Tavern, agreed right away when friends asked to use their business for the benefit. About 20 volunteers helped to serve dinner.

By 7:30 p.m. they had gone through 40 pounds of spaghetti and suspected they'd go through double that after more people trickled in.

"I was nervous about how it would go, but everything worked out," Mrs. Zreliak said.

Many family members also came out in support. Ms. Campbell's brother, Bill Jones of Jackson Center, and his friend Barb McIntire came along with Reeher's parents. Reeher's sister Debbie, Sharpsville, volunteered to help serve dinners donated by Sysco Foods.

Reeher's longtime friends from Twin State Auto Racing Club -- Bob Miller, Jason and Carrie Longwell all of Hartford -- raced to help out the family after they heard what happened.

"Tim is an announcer at our track and he has always been good to us guys," Jason Longwell said. "It's like a racer looking out for another racer. I think in his position having to have special housing, it's something we needed to do."

"I think they've been through quite an ordeal. I remember the '85 tornado. It was pretty sad to have to see it again," said Dale Miles, president of the racing club.

Ms. Campbell said the benefit was impressive and both she and Reeher thanked everyone at the dinner and in the community for supporting them. She said the president of the Sharpsville schools Parent Teacher Organization showed up at the door Saturday with a gift card and $200. They are living in a single-level home in Hermitage, rent-free.

"That was very nice of them," she said, adding that the PTO was originally going to donate money to Make-A-Wish Foundation but decided to give it to tornado families instead.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Larissa Theodore at:

ltheodore@sharonherald.com