The efforts to help a young Brody BeQuette, a Miss-Lou boy suffering from cancer, are just getting started.

The 4 year old was recently diagnosed with Neuroblastoma after doctors found a tumor in his stomach, and the community response was staggering.

Since Ron BeQuette and Crystal Davis, Brody’s parents, were given the news on Dec. 3, BeQuette said he received an unfathomable amount of support from people all around the Miss-Lou.

Local efforts to raise money and awareness for Brody have consisted of blood drives, raffle tickets, bake sales and several other events.

“It’s been tremendous, even from people we don’t even know,” BeQuette said. “It gives you a comforting feeling like you’re not going through it by yourself.”

The next event scheduled for Brody’s benefit might be the biggest so far.

Jamie Welch called BeQuette with an idea to rock the Miss-Lou, literally.

Welch and his band, Framing the Red, will make a stop at the Vidalia Conference and Convention Center during their tour to host a Hometown Throwdown benefit show to raise money and awareness for Brody.

Two bands, Candybone from Jackson and Apollo’s Brows from Lafayette, La., will also perform at the event scheduled for 6 p.m. Jan. 18. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Welch said it never occurred to him to do a benefit show until he logged on to Facebook and saw Brody’s face.

“It basically started as a Hometown Throwdown just for our band, and it never occurred to make it a benefit,” he said. “Once I decided to do it, I scrolled through Facebook and (Brody) looks exactly like one of my brothers, and I knew he was who I needed to do this show for.

“I messaged Crystal (Davis) on Facebook and got her permission and she said by all means let’s do it. I talked to my band and we just ran with it. I had no idea what I was dealing with at all. I had no idea how big it would be.”

Welch said what was originally a room booked for 150 people gradually grew to a room for an expected crowd of 1,000.

Welch said he has witnessed first hand the type of support Brody has gotten through the benefit.

“People just started throwing money and raffle prizes for it, it’s been a lot of work, but it’s been effortless when it comes to finding people who are on board,” Welch said.

BeQuette said he is happy about the amount of support the community has given to Welch’s benefit, and he wants to think of the event as a fundraiser and a cancer awareness forum.

“We know that we’re going through this for a reason, whether it’s to bring people together and make us stronger as a community,” BeQuette said. “It’s mind boggling how many people have jumped on board and everything that has been done for us.

“We want to bring awareness on the sickness, because we had no idea what it was and we’re finding out that it’s pretty common.”

Brody is now in the hospital with a tube in his chest to drain fluids from around his lungs. The plan is for Brody to start his second round of Chemotherapy on Wednesday.