BOARDMAN — Jennifer Yozwiak recalled one day when she and her husband, Chris, were at a gas station and he sensed that a woman and her children they saw outside were in distress.

After they drove away, the woman’s plight continued to gnaw at Chris, so he returned to the station and gave the woman money to buy gasoline for her vehicle.

Far from being an anomaly, such a gesture was par for the course for who he is, Jennifer explained.

“Chris has never met a stranger. He has a true passion for helping others,” she said.

Suffice it to say that the script was temporarily flipped, however, because a few thousand people were on hand to help Yozwiak, courtesy of Friday’s Cauz 4 Yoz spaghetti dinner fundraiser in the Boardman High School cafeteria.

The four-hour dinner was on behalf of Yozwiak, a 1992 Boardman High graduate who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare neurodegenerative disease in which nerve cells especially in the brain and spinal cord break down to slow functionality to the muscles the cells serve. Muscle weakness is the main symptom of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the baseball legend who had been diagnosed in the late 1930s, ending his career.

ALS has no known cause or cure, though medication and therapies can slow its progression and reduce discomfort.

Yozwiak and his family live in Hudson. Despite the disease, he continues to co-own Sky King Fireworks and makes many decisions for the company.

Before the disease’s onset, her husband was very outgoing, though he has maintained “this smile that’s so magnetic,” Jennifer Yozwiak said. She added that even though Chris can no longer speak or walk, it doesn’t mean his fighting spirit has diminished.

To communicate, he uses a specialized type of eye-gazing technology via a computer in which trackers follow his eyes’ movements to allow him to navigate the internet and type his thoughts, feelings and other forms of communication.

His physical limitations also have been hard on the couple’s children, daughter, Brooklyn, 6, and son, Brady, 9,though each is learning to adapt to a variety of changes ALS has brought to family life.

“We still like to watch movies, and I ride on my dad’s lap on his scooter, and we do jokes on the computer,” Brooklyn said.

Before the disease’s onset, father and daughter loved to do jigsaw puzzles together, add color to her coloring book and swim — something he did, with the assistance of a portable body-lift chair, up to the family’s last Florida vacation in November 2021.

Brooklyn also fondly recalled occasions in which she jumped off a kitchen counter and into her father’s arms.

Watching movies together also consumed a lot of father-son time, including several in the “Star Wars” series, as well as the popular Christmas film “Home Alone,” Brady recalled.

Another way Brady proudly emulates Yozwiak is via playing baseball and football for the Hudson Hawks, one of the teams his father coached. During his high school days, Yozwiak also played football, baseball and basketball.

“He’s just a nice guy, someone you want to be with. He’s a very positive person,” Brady said, adding that his father also sends occasional text messages and emails to the two children.

Yozwiak also is a very spiritual person — someone who, despite his hardships, uses his computer also to minister and message the love of God to thousands of people worldwide, the Rev. Jim Leone, pastor of North Lima-based Real Living Ministries, said.

During Friday’s fundraiser, Leone, a 25-year friend of Yozwiak’s, read from Proverbs 18:21, which, in essence, talks about the “life and death” power of one’s tongue and words spoken. He urged attendees to speak well regarding people and things important to them, even on the darkest days.

Leone also expressed gratitude for the support on behalf of his longtime friend.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this community,” he continued. “You step up. You give and give and give.”

Brian O’Neill, an event organizer who’s known Yozwiak since elementary school, estimated that 3,000 people would attend the event, though he was not surprised by the figure.

“He also is one of the most beloved guys who graduated from Boardman, period,” O’Neill said, adding that Yozwiak has continually gone out of his way to be charitable toward others, emotionally as well as financially.

Early indications were that the fundraiser brought in more than $80,000 — all of which will go toward helping to offset Chris’s medical bills, O’Neill noted.

A GoFundMe site has been set up to accept further donations. To contribute, go to https://gofund.me/69c796a3

During the dinner, dozens of fellow Boardman High Class of 1992 grads posed for a group photograph with Chris, who responded to the outpouring of support with several nods and smiles. He was kept separate from attendees because of his compromised immune system and high risk for getting sick.

The event also featured a 50/50 raffle, a Chinese auction, a disc jockey and T-shirts for sale.

news@vindy.com