When one member of a team is in trouble, the others come to the rescue.

In the northern Carbon County village of Tresckow, one of its members needs help and the others came to his aid Saturday afternoon at the Tresckow Hosey social hall.

Bill Fallon Jr. was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, so his family set up a benefit event complete with food, tricky trays and entertainment.

“This (event) is not so much about the financial support, but letting him know he has the support to fight this,” said Claire Antolick, Bill’s first cousin who helped arrange the event. “When he retired, he could have just gone on his way, Instead, he has chosen to help other veterans who need help. It is overwhelming to me how many people have donated.”

Fallon, the oldest of four children of Bill Fallon Sr. and the late Alvera Fallon, is a U.S. Air Force veteran who is now a veterans’ affairs officer at the York County office of Pennsylvania CareerLink.

“I’m choked up, to say the least,” Bill said of the event. “My cousins and siblings and I were raised like brothers and sisters. To put this together means so much to me and my wife.”

Tom Moro, a lifelong Tresckow resident, grew up with the Fallon siblings.

“This event is bringing out all the people of Tresckow,” Moro said, “Anybody who touched Bill’s life is here. I’m here because I’ve known him all my life. I took my sister Jackie and Bill to their first (Grateful) Dead concert at City Island Park in Harrisburg.”

Bill’s youngest brother, Scott, the lead singer and keyboardist for the former popular local band Hocus Pocus for a decade, took a three-week leave from his job in Tennessee to put together the music for the day.

“I spent the last eight days in my dad’s garage, 10 to 11 hours a day, recording the (instrument) tracks,” Scott said, referring to instrumental tracks that would accompany him on the keyboard as he and his daughter, Morgan, sang songs from artists like Jimmy Buffet, Stevie Nix, the Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Janis Joplin, the Beatles, the Eagles, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

“This is a great opportunity to do good for my brother.”

Two of Bill’s four children have followed in their father’s footsteps and served in the Air Force. His oldest daughter, Vanessa, completed a 10-year tour of duty, and Bill III is on active duty and could not attend the event,

“Vanessa flew in from California just to be here today,” Bill said.

“I think it’s pretty wonderful, exciting,” said Bill’s wife, Paula.

“It was very nice of my cousin Claire and her sisters to pull together to do this,” said Bridgett Sernak, Bill’s sister.

Dan Fallon, Bill’ other brother, and his wife Lea Ann, also helped set up the event.

“I would like to thank everybody for donating and doing their part,” Dan said.

In his job, Fallon has organized resources in York County to help veterans.

“I’ve put together the York Veterans Network,” Bill said. “There are 210 different individuals and organizations. There are a lot of organizations doing great things for veterans, but it is a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.”

Bill said he takes special interest in veterans, beyond finding them a job.

“When I meet a veteran, I talk to them and find out what is going on in their lives,” Bill said. “Last Thursday, I got an email about a veteran moving into York County with seven kids who didn’t have a refrigerator or a microwave (oven). I sent out an email to the network, and within 30 minutes, we had one. Another organization bought them a microwave. And the family got gift cards and groceries.

“We were able to take care of them right away.”

Bill Fallon Sr. summed up the day in one word, “Wonderful.”