A very special benefit is being held in Bangor this weekend and one of the auction items just took on new value. The 1st Annual Jerry Hughes MDS Research Memorial Auction & Buffet is being held Saturday and will feature lots of great items up for bid, including an autographed picture of Vince Wilfork.

Jerry Hughes was a former Bangor Public Works employee and local musician who was always volunteering to help others. But when he contracted MDS, his ability to participate in the things he enjoyed began to fall away. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a name used for a group of conditions when the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow are damaged. It's not as well known as some other ailments and doesn't get the research dollars that many others do. So, Jerry's family decided to do what they could to support MDS research.

This Saturday, the family, in conjunction with Walgreen's, is putting on an auction and buffet in Jerry's honor. There will be a cash bar and buffet at 5:30, and that's your chance to check out the items up for bid in the silent auction. And then the live auction gets underway at 6:30. I will be joined by my Townsquare Media cohort, Eric Owens as we host the event and try our hands at playing auctioneer. (yup, should be interesting and will definitely be fun!)

There are a lot of great items up for bid, including a variety of gift baskets, a Bud Light golf bag, a wall-size framed professional photograph, gift cards and more. Plus, there's one item that just took on some added value. It was announced this week that the New England Patriots did not pick up defensive tackle Vince Wilfork's option. Up for auction on Saturday will be an autographed Vince Wilfork photo in his New England Patriots' uniform. Cool!

The 1st Annual Jerry Hughes MDS Research Memorial Auction and Buffet gets underway at 5:30 Saturday afternoon, March 7th in the ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn, 250 Haskell Road in Bangor. Tickets are $20.00 each, $35.00 for couples, and $15.00 for Seniors and Students. You can purchase tickets at the Bangor Letter Shop or at Walgreen's in Bangor, Brewer, Ellsworth, Belfast, and Augusta. Checks can be made payable to Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) Foundation - Hughes MDS Research Fund. We hope to see you there!

More From WQCB Brewer Maine