Last Thursday night, musician JJ Buckland was at a local open mic, soloing on his favorite song, “Stormy Monday,” when he suddenly collapsed.. The club staff and many people in attendance, including his fellow musicians, did all they could. EMTs arrived swiftly and he was transported to the hospital, but unfortunately he died.

This is tragic enough but it gets even more serious. His wife, Stephanie, has breast cancer and is in the midst of treatment, leaving the famly completely dependent upon Buckland for their support. They only recently moved here from out of state and they had not had time to put down many roots yet. All of their relatives are out of state.

There are two young sons in the family, aspiring musician Jonathan, who is 15, and hockey lover Anthony, who is 11.

The family lives in Canton.

They are going to need help with everything..groceries, utilities, gas, and all everyday expenses. They also need friendship and support. They need to know they are not alone in this.

A fundraising event is being planned. If you are the owner of a venue or other area that could be used for the event (family friendly and non-smoking), please leave a message on the JJ Buckland Memorial Page on Facebook or contact me here and I will pass the word along.

Here are other ways you can help:

1. Donate via PayPal to Stephanie using her email address: Sbuckland72@gmail.com in the ‘send money’ section

2. Purchase grocery or gas gift cards and deliver to the Tuesday or Thursday Open Jam at Abbey Road.

3. Share this page and encourage others to get involved.

4. Participate in the upcoming Poker Tournament which will be hosted by Tracey Peters of Abbey Road (details forthcoming)

5. Contribute at the GoFundMe page.

Also, if you are a musician or band who would be willing to play at the fundraiser, please do message here or on the page. There will also be a need for items for a silent auction. If you are a photographer and would like to donate your services for the event, that would also be helpful.

Please share this article and the Facebook page and let’s all come together and show this family what a loving community we are.