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Friends of Jim “Cheesy” Stewart host fundraiser for cancer treatment

May 8, 2025   ·   2 Comments

By Joshua Drakes

Bar on Broadway was abuzz over the weekend as a small army of friends and supporters gathered for a two-day fundraising drive for a regular patron and beloved community member, Jim Stewart. 

Stewart, affectionately known to everyone as “Cheesy,” has been a regular at the bar for decades, and has a unique ability to get a smile out of everyone he meets. With a cancer diagnosis keeping him isolated, the community decided to pay back his generosity with interest, raising $13,000 for his medical expenses. 

Michelle Amaral, the organizer of the event, thanked all the volunteers and the bar that made the fundraiser possible. 

She continued by saying that Stewart has been a pillar of the community for a decade, and his hospitalization has left a hole that cannot be filled. 

“Jim Stewart has been a part of this pub for 10 years, he’s lived in town since he was 10 years old,” she said. “He was diagnosed with a rare cancer, MDS (Myelodysplastic syndromes), and he had to get a bone marrow transplant, so now he’s in isolation.” 

Stewart’s MDS diagnosis means his bone marrow is unable to produce enough healthy red blood cells for the body. Amaral said that for now, he is stable and recovering with his wife beside him. 

“His partner is with him in isolation and she said he’s doing okay,” she said. “They’re waiting for the results on the cancer test to see if his body is accepting the transplant.” 

Friends describe him as the kind of man who’s always ready with a compassionate ear or a cheesy joke to lift the mood, and if you’re a buck short on your tab, he’d step in and cover it – no questions asked. 

For that reason, when they learned of his condition, the community rallied to return the favour. 

“He’s made such a stamp in our community, he’s a total gentleman,” Amaral said. “So we all got together to help him. We’re here raising money so that he doesn’t have to worry about insurance and all that stuff. His fight is our fight.” 

Amaral drew attention to the stacks of items local businesses donated out of pocket to support the event. Black Wolf Smokehouse and the Orangeville Golf Club were among the supporters who provided fundraising rewards for raffle draws. 

Local patron Gary, known to everyone as the “Wild Man,” has been friends with Stewart for years, and said that he has this air about him that told him they’d be friends right away. 

“I started hanging out at a bar down at the bottom of town. Cheesy was the first guy I met, and I knew I was going to be friends with him, and that was 25 years ago. I consider him my best friend” Gary said. “He always looks after the town, be it charity events, everything. He always stepped up to the plate, he’s just an amazing individual.” 

Gary said that there was such an outpouring of support they had to make the event more than just the one day they originally planned.

“A lot of people said, ‘I can’t make it Saturday’, but they still wanted to come out, so we decided to make this a two day event, Saturday and Sunday. Even then, it’s just a drop in the bucket to what they could have gotten with more time for donations.” 

He said that there has been constant movement throughout the weekend as people come and go, hoping to hear good news. Gary said he remains optimistic because if anyone deserves good news, it’s Jim Stewart. 

“What he’s had to go through is just unbelievable, but I’m sure everything’s gonna turn out good,” he said. “He’s the kind of guy that supports everything, always giving and giving. He’s a big, healthy, strong guy and has been his whole life.” 

For now, everyone is waiting and praying for Stewart’s smooth recovery, and even as he recovers with his wife Louise by his side, donations continue to come in, and plans are being drawn up for a party to welcome “Cheesy” back into the bar.

If there’s one thing the community could say in unison, it’d be what Gary makes sure to tell everyone he meets about Jim Stewart. 

“I just have so much respect for him as a human being.” 

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