Friends Rally to Support "The Don"

Life-long member of the Branford community, 33 year old Don Geissler, was struck by a car in Branford while he was walking home from work at a local retail shop on Saturday January 5th. Friends of Don have rallied behind their pal to help raise money for him and his new family as he recovers. 

Don sustained serious injuries including a cracked spine, broken bones, and injured internal organs. He has had surgery on his spine and was placed in the Surgical Intensive Care Unite at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was discharged from the hospital on Sunday and has been transferred to outpatient care. 

Don is engaged to be married and is looking forward starting a family with his fiance and his stepdaughter Aurora. He graduted from SCSU with a history degree and is known to be hard working, motivated, and a team player.

To help defray the costs of the insurmountable medical bills, Don's friends rallied to create "The Don Fundraiser". They will be hosting the event on January 25, 2013 from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM at the Foxon Fire House (1420 North High Street, East Haven CT) with entertainment, food, and beer. Event organizer Hugh Buchanan says that event goers can expect live music from Branford residents, tunes from a DJ who is a regular at Toad's Place, and stand up comedy by Dan Rice. Beer will be provided by Brooklyn Brewery and Coastal and local businesses have come together to offer a wide array of raffle and auction items. 

Tickets are "Pay What You Can" but Friends of Don suggest a $20.00 donation. All funds will be given to the family to help pay for medical bills, not a small feat as he do not have health insurance. 

Don is also a huge baseball fan. Friends describe Don’s commitment to his beloved sports teams as "much like his commitment to his family and friends. Always steady, never faltering, never wavering and always rolling with ups and downs. His cheerful acceptance of a loss on the field reveals the true nature of why he is so loved – Don accepts you for your faults, celebrates your achievements and is committed to standing by your side to the very end." 

For more information, please visit the event website as www.helpthedon.com or make an online contribution here.