The Peru Gazette

Bill Downs (Center) after receiving his Water Plant Operator of the Year Award from Supervisor Peter Glushko and Greg Timmons.

Peru – On Saturday, March 11th Peru and North Country residents will have the opportunity to assist former Peru Fire Chief Bill Downs who is battling Non Hodgkin lymphoma. Bill’s cancer was in remission until January when an aggressive lymphoma was discovered. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy and when that’s complete he will undergo stem cell transplant therapy in either Burlington or Boston. Bill and his wife Donna will have to live near the hospital for several weeks. To help out with expenses Bill and Donna’s daughter Taylor, family and friends are running a car wash at the Peru Fire Station between 8 a.m. and noon on Sunday. It’s only $5 a car.

Bill Downs is well known here in his hometown and elsewhere. The Halloween haunted garage at his Main Street home entertained children for many years. As a Peru Water Department employee, he was chosen as New York State Rural Water Association’s Plant Operator of the Year.

For more information contact Taylor Crowningshield at 335-3237.