Friend of Larry Vasquez to stage big fundraiser

MOSES LAKE — The friends of Larry Vasquez are going to hold a fundraising concert in Zamora Park this coming Friday night to help the Moses Lake man battle with a recent cancer diagnosis.

“It was just all of a sudden,” said Deane Duncan, a friend and classmate of Vasquez who is organizing the fundraiser. “He had a weeklong headache, went in to see a doctor, and was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the kidneys, lungs, and brain.”

Vasquez, a father of two, has been unable to work because of the headaches, and this has put quite a strain on his family and finances.

“He can’t work now, so all of his high school buddies are putting on a really fun show,” Duncan said. “Everybody’s reaching out to him.”

Tickets for the show, which begins at 5 p.m., Aug. 4, are $20, with all proceeds going to help Vasquez and his family as he continues treatment. Local Moses Lake band Dime Store Prophets will perform from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and there will be barbecue, drinks, and raffles for prizes all night.

And while the fundraiser, which is being organized by the Moses Lake High School Class of 1986 group on Facebook, will last until 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Duncan said it would be “family friendly.”

She also invited the entire community, and not just Vasquez’ friends, to come out and support him and his family in this time of need.

“Larry will be there,” she said. “It’ll be a good time with friends and classmates. But it’s open to the entire community.”

A GoFundMe page established to help Vasquez had raised nearly $10,000 as of Wednesday morning.

“I’ve known Larry since we were 5; he’s lived in Moses Lake all his life,” said longtime friend Gary Delarosa. “We’re just trying to ease his financial worries a little.”

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com