Serving the Towns of Wawarsing, Crawford, Mamakating, Rochester and Shawangunk, and everything in between
(none)   
SJ FB page   

Gutter Gutter
How One Community Helps Its Own...
A Wealth Of Fundraising For Ray Of Ray's Auto

HIGH FALLS – Longtime customers calling Ray's Auto in High Falls often hear the self-deprecating greeting, "Ray's Auto Hell, Satan speaking."

Ray is Ray Mercier, who has owned the shop near the intersection of Route 213 and Lucas Avenue in High Falls since 1991.

In August of this year Mercier was diagnosed with Stage 3A lung cancer. He has been undergoing both radiation and chemotherapy treatments in hopes of shrinking the roughly tennis ball sized tumor to an operable size. And as a result, the shop has been closed as often as not over the past five months while Mercier deals with the debilitating effects of his treatment.

Initially, when he was unable to be at the shop; Mercier put up a note on the door explaining why he was closed. When he came back he found that visitors had come by and left messages.

"People were just writing notes on the signs," Mercier said. "Then when the first sign was filled up someone added another piece of paper. It was very humbling."

Mercier is a very private man who admits to not wanting to ask for help. Consequently, when Claire Wasser and Ilene Cutler first approached him about doing a fundraiser, he said no. Eventually the strain of not being able to work caused him to change his mind.

"I've known Ray around 25 years, from when he was in the other shop where the apothecary is now," Wasser said about her relationship with Mercier. "He's the kind of guy who is everybody's friend. He's very warm and a caring person. That's why people, I think, are jumping to the occasion to help him out and I think that's why he's loved so much in this community".

Wasser got involved in setting up the fundraiser after three different people called her and asked if she knew about Ray. Cutler, a local photographer and videographer, was one of them.

Cutler, who took the portrait now on the webpage dedicated to helping Ray, said she found out Mercier was sick when she called to get work done on her car and Ray said he was dealing with some health issues and wouldn't be able to get to it right away.

"It just made sense for the community to get together and help him out," she added. "I thought of the innumerable times I've been to Ray and he worked on my car and said 'No charge, I didn't do that much.' You can depend on Ray to be trust worthy and dependable. It just made sense for us to help him out."

The GiveForward.com fund raising site has been up only since December 2 and already has nearly fifty donations and posts sending encouragement and love, with comments ranging from "Ray, you have no idea how much you are loved. I really miss you! Please hurry back to us. We have a date to talk politics," to "Thank you for organizing this for this special person. I have never met a person so selfless and caring as Ray."

"The response I'm getting — it just warms my heart. I'm so excited," Wasser said. "We have raised over $3,500, which is amazing. And Ray is sending the thank you's himself now when he can."

Another fundraising effort is being conducted by the Rondout Valley United Methodist Church, also customers of Ray's Auto. Checks can be made out to Arnold Jones Jr., the Rev. Caroline Berninger, or Vahe Keukjian at the church with "Ray's Fund" in the subject line.

Humbled is also the word Mercier used to describe how he feels about the community support. He seems to have been unaware of the good will and loyalty his years of humor, political discussions, and auto repairs for the price of a cup of coffee have earned him.

He's still in his shop from time to time now doing some light work — tires, oil changes, and inspections. As his strength returns he'll do more. Some of his longtime customers have waited to get work done on their vehicles until he's better, others have found other shops.

"I'd like to think they'll come back when they find out I'm back one-hundred percent," Mercier said.

I think they'll be back, Ray, and I know I will.



Gutter Gutter






Gutter