Partying with 500 of your best friends when you are a bloke in your thirties would be quite a normal thing to do.
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But there is nothing normal about Ben Mosley’s situation.
The popular Dubbo outdoorsman is dealing with bowel and liver cancer and is facing chemotherapy and multiple surgeries.
It is a good thing that Ben and his wife Ash have loyal friends.
Those friends banded together to raise funds for Ben and his family last Saturday night at the Garden Hotel by auctioning off a diverse mix of items including entertainment packages, beauty products, artworks and an extensive range of signed sporting memorabilia.
The fun-filled evening raised more than $100,000 to help with Ben’s medical bills.
Ben and his wife Ash were overcome with emotion on the evening.
"The turnout and generosity was overwhelming and we are so very grateful and blessed to have such a tight community to help us through such a difficult time,” they said.
Jarrad Bleechmore, who came back from Sydney to spin some tunes at the event, said the highlight of the evening was the number of people that turned up and were happy to dig deep and bid.
“The amount of quality goods contributed was absolutely amazing,” he said.
“The bidding was also incredible with all items selling at great prices hence the massive amount of cash raised. The auction was definitely the highlight.
”The generosity of the locals almost made me want to move back home!”
Many of Ben’s friends said the amount of money raised confirmed how much love and respect the community has for Ben.
"Saturday night was huge, we hoped to get a good turnout, but it was such a good turnout and over $100,000 raised. It was nothing short of amazing," Tom Warren said.
"It really blew our mind just how many people showed up to support Ben even though there are many other fundraisers on at the moment and Christmas around the corner too,” Nigel Bourke said.
"The night really highlighted just how much of a respected figure Ben Mosley is within the local community,” Luke Carney said.
Mr Bleechmore said the money would drastically reduce financial pressure for Ben and his family.
“This money will give Ben the best shot he has at recovery from such major surgery without having to worry about funding issues,” he said.
“This event highlights that when it comes to your health, unfortunately, illnesses like cancer can hit anyone regardless of age or personal circumstances.
“It really is so important to get your self-checked regularly.”