Community pays it forward for Ski

Billy Drown

Published: Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

Ski Kaliszewski still isn’t back at work at DJ’s Auto, but he will be at the “Ski-Aid” planned for him Nov. 22.

        Just when life couldn’t be any worse for Robert “Ski” Kaliszewski and his wife, Iris, things took another drastic turn. Soon after finding out he was diagnosed with lung cancer, Ski and Iris had $4,000 stolen from them when his shop, DJ’s Auto Service, was broken into. That money had one purpose — to help Ski and Iris maintain a suitable life during his recovery.  When word got out of the vent, Custer and the surrounding communities did what small towns do best. They bonded and proved that once again small communities are the place to live. A “Ski-Aid” was formed to help raise money to recoup what the Kaliszewskis lost.  A benefit dinner and auction will be held Saturday, Nov. 22, at 5 p.m. at the Custer VFW. All money raised that night will also be donated to Ski and Iris. Let’s go back to the beginning, though, when the dark clouds began to overshadow the Kaliszewskis. The story begins shortly after Ski’s father, Stanley, St. Louis, Mo., passed away in August 2007. After that, Ski found himself with bouts of shortness of breath. At that time, he said, he didn’t think anything of it. So until the summer of 2008, Ski continued to work until his breathing became almost unbearable.  “I finally broke down and decided to get myself checked out. With a CAT scan at Custer Community Hospital, I found out I had a tumor on my right bronchial artery. “I had been working with only one lung. The tumor on my right bronchial artery caused my right lung to collapse,” said Ski. Ski decided to go through the Department of Veterans Affairs to get the operation done. But they didn’t provide him with the news he was hoping for. “They told me I would have to be sent to Minneapolis. I prayed I wouldn’t have to go there, because I wanted to be surrounded by my family. Plus the cost of travel wasn’t something we wanted to spend money on,” Ski said. Ski knew he had to get the operation done and if he had to travel to Minneapolis, then so be it. He had been setting aside money to help him and Iris survive during his recovery time.  “I kept the cash I had been saving at my auto shop. On Thursday, Oct. 16, I walked into work and found that someone had broken in and took the $4,000 I had saved. “It was devastating. I was already going through a serious issue and now I had this to deal with,” he said. Iris remembers receiving a phone call from Ski that morning. “I was in White Sulfur Springs, Mont., visiting my family. I was at my sister’s when Ski called and sobbed to me what happened. First the tumor and then this; it felt like someone had knocked our knees out from underneath us,” said Iris. When she got home several people from their church, First Baptist, came over and prayed together.  “We said God has His reasons why this would happen. Despite how horrible everything had been we told each other we would get through this,” Iris said. They also asked themselves how someone could do this to them, especially at such a horrible time. “We kept asking ourselves that over and over again. How could someone be so cruel to steal money from us, especially considering what the money was going towards. But it is possible that person didn’t know our ordeal,” said Iris. According to Custer County Sheriff Deputy Joe Bowden, the investigation is still ongoing and a few leads are being investigated. “Since the break-in, Ski and I have forgiven whoever stole from us. We pray that what has been done in darkness, that God will bring to the light,” Iris said. Since Ski began DJ’s Auto Service eight years ago, he has kindly given handouts to people. Now he said he has been having a hard time dealing with all the affection and donations. “The whole community has come to our rescue. We feel blessed to work and live in this community. People have come up to me and lent a hand. They told me they remember when I worked on their vehicles for free and now it is their turn. “I just enjoy doing that for people. It wasn’t about the money then and it isn’t about the money now. The hardest thing for me now is to accept all the donations. I’m not one to receive, but I know that if I don’t take what is being given God won’t bless all these people. God will bless these great people seven fold,” said Ski. The First Baptist Church congregation in Custer has been great to the Kaliszewskis. It was from that church the idea of the benefit dinner and auction came. And since then the community and surrounding communities have come together to help Ski and Iris out. “It is hard to put into words how we feel about all this. The love of this community brings joy to my heart. We feel loved. It has truly been a blessing,” said Ski. Iris agrees. “It has been overwhelming. God is so good. The blessings don’t seem to end and that is what small communities all are about. The economy is hurting and people are still willing to give,” she said. Iris, who works at Rose Haven, has taken the past three weeks off. She said with both of them not working, they have no income coming in. But thanks to the community and God they are doing fine. Another prayer that God answered for the Kaliszewskis is the one involving their travel to Minnesota for surgery. “I was able to go to the Rapid City Regional Hospital to get the tumor removed,” said Ski. “God answered that prayer. He made it possible for me to be surrounded by my family, friends and my Pastor Bill Savory So on Oct. 31, the tumor was removed. A 12-inch incision was cut underneath Ski’s right armpit. From there the doctors had to break a few of his ribs to spread them. Through the incision and spread ribs they removed his right lung. Doctors found that in just 60 days the tumor had expanded from 3 cm to 5. 2 cm.  Now cancer free, Ski looks forward to get back to work.  “I’m still unsure of when I will be ready to go back,” said Ski. “Hopefully soon, because I’m going nuts not being able to work. Eventually I will get back to work and do what God wants me to do. For eight years I have be doing my work and I plan on being busy for a long time.” Ski, 59 years young, never one to stop thinking of ways to help people, hoped the doctors would give him a piece of his cancer-riddled lung so he could go to schools and show the students what smoking tobacco does to a person’s body. “I smoked when I was a kid. Even though I quit 15 years ago, my body is still diseased by that poor decision,” Ski said. “Seeing is believing. And if students saw what I did to that lung they wouldn’t want to go there. They don’t need to ruin their lives.” Unfortunately, the doctors weren’t able to give Ski a piece of his lung. Even without his diseased lung, Ski said he still plans to share the story of his battle with others. Ski’s sharing and friendliness is contagious. Just ask Gail Mayer. Gail, who spearheaded “Ski-Aid,” said she is just paying it forward.  “People have helped me in the past and I wasn’t able to repay them, so I decided to pay it forward,” she said. “Ski has worked on my vehicles before and he has always been very generous and honest. I have always appreciated that about him. When I heard of their predicament I didn’t want the community to be known as a place that takes from each other. I want this great community and the surrounding communities to be known as very giving.” Helping Gail set up the benefit dinner and auction are Mary Jo Tiller, Danette Geisner, Joyce Molitor and others.  “When Gail heard what happened, she really spear-headed this benefit. We have so many great items up for auction,” said Danette. One of the great items not up for sale at the silent auction on Nov. 22 is a three-in-one painting from the Jon Crane Gallery in Hot Springs. That print is up for raffle and is on display at the First Western Bank in Custer. The three-in-one painting consists of an image of Meeker Ranch and the Custer State Park Game Lodge and Visitor’s Center.  Tickets for the Jon Crane print can be bought at the First Western Bank or contact Gail at 603-391-3374, Mary Jo at 605-673-4103 or Danette at 605-673-3132. If you are unable to attend the benefit, an account for Ski and Iris has been set up at the First Western Bank in Custer.  “We want to thank the community for stepping up and we hope to see a lot of people at the benefit and chili feed,” said Gail.  Chili and dessert will be served at the benefit dinner. Suggested donation is $5. Entertainment will be provided by Deuce’s Wild.