NAUGATUCK — Whenever anyone needed help, friends and family of Rita Withee say she was there to lend a hand.
“She does everything for everybody without a thought. If she had her last five dollars she would give it to help someone. She would go without and make sure everybody else was taken care of,” said April Bernacchi, Withee’s daughter.
Now, Withee’s friends and family are seeking to help her.
In August, Withee, 60, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
According to Withee’s friend Lynn Kirdzik, the cancer is aggressive and Withee goes every week for alternating treatments of chemotherapy and radiation.
A pasta dinner to help offset Withee’s medical bills will be Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Naugatuck Elks Lodge, 758 Rubber Ave. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children and $30 for a family of four.
Tickets can be purchased at the door. People who can’t to attend but still want to donate can do so at Ion Bank, where there is an account set up in Withee’s name, Kirdzik said.
Withee is a familiar face to many who attended Naugatuck Public Schools.
Kirdzik said Withee, a longtime Naugatuck resident who recently moved to Waterbury, has worked as a bus driver for 32 years. Her primary routes were in Naugatuck and Middlebury, Kirdzik said.
Withee also volunteered with the Naugatuck Special Olympics for over 10 years, Kirdzik said.
According to Kirdzik, Withee would pick up and transport athletes and coaches for the Special Olympics whenever the need arose. In addition to transporting the athletes, Withee also helped coach volleyball for Special Olympics, Kirdzik said.
“She has a heart of gold,” Kirdzik said. “If she can help, she is helping.”
