A March fundraiser at Cook’s Lobster & Ale House brought in $23,500 to support Mark Wilson and his family as Wilson recovers from a stroke.
Cook’s, in partnership with the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department, served 379 dinners at the event on March 7, according to a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page. A 50-50 raffle and a raffle of a tuna charter, along with cash donations, boosted the total.
The Wilson family was “at a loss for words to explain what it felt like for all of us to be surrounded by so much love,” they said in a message shared by the restaurant.
Wilson, a well-known Orr’s Island fisherman, had a stroke in February while visiting a Boston hospital. He remained in that hospital for three weeks before moving to a rehabilitation hospital in Portland.
An online fundraiser has brought in another $62,265 for the family as of March 15. “Each day brings new progress for Mark and he is getting stronger and stronger!” his wife said in a March 11 update on the fundraising page.
The fundraisers will help the family cover medical expenses, the cost of lodging, and the cost to prepare Wilson’s home for his safe return. The family hopes Wilson will return home at the end of March, according to the Cook’s Facebook post.
