Last month, local McDonald's locations held a fundraiser to help a long-time employee of the Airport Road location who had fallen ill. Robert Lamera Day, as the event was called, raised around $3,600, which was presented to Lamera's wife on Tuesday.
On Jan. 31, all seven Hot Springs area McDonald's had donation boxes out, and the location at 1713 Airport Road donated 20 percent of the day's sales to Lamera. Lamera's wife, Sheila, said she was thankful of the effort, noting she thought the fundraiser would only bring a small amount of money in, but its success was above and beyond her expectations.
Sheila Lamera said she was thankful for the Hot Springs community for supporting the fundraiser. She said her husband has always been kind to people when they were in need. "Now that he needs help, people have stepped up," she said.
The money was presented by McDonald's Area Supervisor David Bartlett. "It went really well," Bartlett said, saying that raising $3,600 in one day is a success.
"I hope the money helps him," Bartlett said, adding that Lamera and his family are "in everybody's thoughts and prayers at McDonald's."
The idea for the fundraiser came from Nakia Hatley, general manager of the Airport Road location. "It was wonderful ... the town really came together for this good cause," Hatley said of the event.
The public showed support for Lamera by spending around $1,000 more than average at the Airport Road location that day, Hatley said, noting the donation box at that location also raised around $1,000. She said the other six donation boxes together also raised around $1,000, meaning that around $2,000 of the $3,600 came directly from donations.
Lamera has worked for various local McDonald's restaurants for around 30 years and has worked at the Airport Road location for at least 15 years. As the kitchen manager, he worked a lot with new and young employees, helping them with their jobs.
Over the past year, his health steadily declined until he was forced to take time off from work in October. In December he was hospitalized and he remained in ICU Tuesday, but Sheila Lamera said he has improved a little to the point he may be moved from ICU to the next level of care.
Doctors have not been able to fully diagnose his condition. Sheila Lamera said doctors told her he has a rare form of neuromuscular myopathy that is so rare there is not a name for it. The doctors said there are other issues too, so Lamera has not been fully diagnosed.
Sheila Lamera said her husband is unable to walk or speak and that he can barely raise his arms, but she is working to keep him motivated to keep getting better.
She said she wanted to thank everybody who supported Robert Lamera Day and she was sure her husband would have the same sentiment.
Local on 02/13/2019