By Randy Strong

The Orange Leader

Faith United Methodist Church organized a fundraiser Saturday in front of Walmart in Orange for Kurt Leger to help pay for the part of chemo and radiation therapy his insurance doesn’t cover.
Leger has a form of cancer called “base of tongue” which forms beneath the skin affecting the mouth and throat area and isn’t easily diagnosed unit later in the tumor’s stage of growth partially due to ear pain being the only early symptom.
Leger said he’s had 33 treatments of radiation and six chemo treatments, which puts him almost halfway to the complete eradication of the cancerous tumor that has already shrunk 20 percent in only two weeks into the treatment.
Leger’s employer, First Financial Bank, has scheduled an additional benefit on Thursday April 26 at Sunset Country Club in Orange where a $20 donation for admittance will grant access to a delicious food buffet, cash bar, silent auction and live entertainment by Uncle Mike’s Garage Band with all proceeds going to the fast recovery of one of Orange’s own, Kurt Leger.

“This has been a great help to pay for the treatments,” Leger said at a benefit in late March. “It is a blessing. There are a lot of caring people in Orange County.”

Leger has been a member of Orange Lions Club for over 20 years. The Lions held a benefit for him earlier in the month as well.

– Dawn Burleigh contributed to this article.