Please note: In order to make a donation, check must be dropped off or mailed to a TD bank with the fund name and number (below) on check. Former address provided here is no longer valid. Thank you!
As we posted in the fall, Bob Garbutt Jr., the eldest son in the hardcore rowing Garbutt family, has been fighting the powerful recurrence of a somewhat rare and very aggressive form of lymphoma since late this past summer. Bob faced down the same lymphoma eight years ago, and had been in remission until collapsing while in Florida in September. After multiple rounds of chemo in the past several months concluding last week, this week Bob has been undergoing a stem cell transplant in the final, must-win stage of his fight with cancer.
Always a strong and upbeat person - Bob was a champion rower and lifeboat racer, as well as a college football recruit who also rowed - Bob has been fighting hard through the multiple rounds of chemo, spinal injections, and more, inspired by his four-year-old daughter Riley and the prayers and well-wishes of tons of rowing folks for whom the Garbutt family was a formative influence in making rowing available and fun to heaps of young people.
Bob is currently in the hospital for a four-week stint as he undergoes the stem cell transplant; the first bill from the current hospital stay came in last week, checking in at $78,000. Insurance will cover parts of the costs, but there will ultimately be a lot left for Bobby and family to cover.
Back in September, Robert Ponzio set up a fund to help the Garbutt family, especially with travel costs while Bob Jr. was undergoing treatment in Chicago. Bob is now at Penn, much closer to the family's home in Ventnor NJ, but the fund is still open for anyone who can assist. Full info as sent to us by Robert Ponzio and posted on row2k last September:
Robert Garbutt Fund
A nonprofit public charity account has been opened by Robert Ponzio at TD bank. Bob's mom Judy Garbutt is the only person allowed to do a withdrawal. The name on the account is Robert Garbutt Fund. The account number is (4277649782). A donation can be given by mailing or delivering a check to TD bank in name of the Robert Garbutt Fund with the account number (4277649782). Of course a bank to bank wire can be done using the same identifying account information. However usually there is a cost associated with a wire of about $20 (varies per bank). Unfortunately, you can not make a deposit using your credit card online to this account. This capability would require a costly business direct account or use a third party service that charges 5% and is slow at releasing funds.
We need to urge anyone who reads this information to pass this on to other interested parties. Of course Bob and Judy will be made aware of your donation.
Any support would be helpful and appreciated. If you find it difficult to help financially, please offer some help by passing this message to others and saying your prayers for Bobby.
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