Paul Willets lost his leg after a motorcycle accident in Seymour this May.
Now a group of friends is planning a fundraiser barbeque to help raise money for Willets’ family while he’s out of work.
The fundraiser — a barbecue with bands and games for children — will be held on Aug. 15 from noon to 7 p.m. at Three Saints Park on Miller Road in Bethany.
It’s being organized by a group of friends, said friend Greg Valentine. Trestle Tavern in Seymour is donating food for the event and organizing bands to play at it.
The Accident
Willets, 34, of Naugatuck, worked at the Auto Works Collision and Repair shop on North Main Street in Seymour before the accident.
Willets was coming back to the shop after a lunch break when a car making a U‑turn on the street struck him on his motorcycle, Valentine said.
Willets was taken by LifeStar helicopter to Hartford Hospital, where he spent a month recovering.
Willets has been through several surgeries since the accident to try to save his leg, but it had to be amputated, Valentine said.
He’ll be out of work for at least a year while he heals and learns how to use a prosthetic leg, Valentine said.
“We’re hoping to raise … we didn’t set an amount. Anything. We’re trying to help out his family,” Valentine said. “His wife lost her job a few months before the accident.”
Willets and his wife have one daughter, Valentine said.
The fundraiser will be $25 per person. Children under 12 are free. Dogs are welcome, Valentine said.
View the event page set up on Facebook by clicking this link.
