LEBANON - About 250 people from across the country spent Saturday out on the farm for a day of remembrance of Andrew Smith, who died in 2000 at age 29 after a five-year battle with cancer.

The event was the eighth Andrew's Annual Art Auction, a fund-raiser for the Heritage Hill Foundation.

The foundation provides financial assistance for families of cancer patients to stay in New York City's Miracle House apartment building or locally in housing near University Hospital's Barrett Cancer Treatment Center.

This year's auction raised more than $28,000, bringing the eight-year total to about $150,000.

Johnnie Herlihy (left) and Sophie Jones, both of Columbus, look over the veggies at the Andrew's Annual Art Auction at Heritage Hill Farm. Proceeds benefit the Heritage Hill Foundation, which provides financial assistance for families of cancer patients. Photo provided

"It was the best one we ever had," said Bill Smith, Andrew's father and owner of Heritage Hill Farm, where his son grew up.

Andrew was diagnosed in 1995 with a rare form of cancer. The 1988 graduate of Kings High School earned a biology degree from Miami University in Oxford in 1992. His wife, Penny, gave birth to a boy, Evan, shortly after the 29-year-old died.

Andrew and several college friends started the foundation in 1997. His friends still serve on the foundation's board of directors.

"We pick up all costs for housing food and (local) transportation," Bill Smith said. "Our focus is what I call the lowest grass-roots level.''

The Smiths and Andrew's wife's family stayed at Miracle House on several occasions while he was being treated.

"(Andrew) started the thing," Bill Smith said. "His belief was 'We'll help the people that are having a tougher time than we are.' ''

FEMA grant buys fire coats

SILVERTON - Firefighters in the Deer Park-Silverton Joint Fire District will soon be wearing new fire coats and bunker pants because of a $64,800 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The grant will cover 90 percent of the $72,000 cost for up to 60 sets of gear, Deer Park-Silverton Deputy Chef Terry Ott said.

"Some of our people have gear that's from the late '80s," Ott said. "You can only repair them so many times. We were trying to figure out what we were going to do if we didn't get the grant. We were, in some cases, in dire straits.''

The new gear should be in service by the end of the year, Ott said.

The department also received a $37,000 federal grant last year to help upgrade the department's breathing-air filling station and buy new individual face-breathing pieces for firefighters.

Contributor: Dave Eck