'On the Rocks' sets benefit for Horseshoe Bay resident

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

On the Rocks, 4401 Cottonwood Drive in Cottonwood Shores, will host a benefit concert Saturday, Jan. 17, to help one of the restaurant's long-time employees and a veteran battling Stage 4 throat cancer.

Regulars at the restaurant and bar likely already know Horseshoe Bay resident John Nylander, 47. It’s community support that’s kept him in good spirits as he endures 30 hours of chemotherapy and radiation every week, including travel time for cancer treatments in Temple and Round Rock.

The fundraiser will be an all-day affair, with three local bands playing from noon to 6 p.m., an extensive buffet for $20, a silent auction and a prize drawing.

Save the World Brewery in Marble Falls donated two kegs for the event.

The performers volunteering their talents are John Arthur Martinez (12-1 p.m.), Southern rock ‘n’ rollers Redneck Jedi (2-4 p.m.) and blues musician Sonny Wolf (4-6 p.m.).

“It’s cool of them to donate their time,” Nylander said.

“I know people from all over are praying for me,” Nylander said, including members of both the Catholic and Protestant churches in Horseshoe Bay. “I attribute feeling as well as I do to their prayers.”

He said a group of 50 people came to the restaurant and prayed for him, promising to keep him in their prayers.

Nylander asked that people keep David Ramirez, another On the Rocks employee, in their prayers also.

“I’m just so thankful for everything anyone has done. I’m blown away,” Nylander said. He added that the owners of On the Rocks, the Orlando family, have been “so gracious, so amazing” throughout the process.

Nylander is keeping a positive outlook.

“From go, I never doubted that I would be okay,” he said.

“As long as I feel like I do now, I’ll keep working,” said Nylander. “We’re playing it by ear,” he said.

Highland Lakes residents have offered more than prayers and emotional support.

Kellcy’s General Store customers have donated more than $500 in loose change and dollar bills in a jar at the Cottonwood Stores convenience store.

Most of the funds raised by the community will be used for travel expenses and monthly bills.

It’s not just community support that has been phenomenal, it’s family and friends also.

“It’s brought my family closer,” he said. “Support from family and friends has been unreal.”

Nylander said he is changing as a person in the process. “I’m still ornery. I hope to shake it but some people say they love me because of it,” he said with a laugh. Mostly, though, “it’s brought me closer to God and my family.”

The experiences of customer and friend Tim Foran, who is close to his age and dealing with Stage 4 tonsil cancer, prompted Nylander to check himself out. On the Rocks hosted a benefit for the Horseshoe Bay city project manager in December.

“I started feeling my lymph nodes and felt this,” Nylander said, pointing to a visibly raised area on the right side of his neck, which was not as pronounced then as it is now. After extensive testing, VA doctors diagnosed the cancerous tumor.

“I’m healthy, though: the doctor is happy with my blood work,” Nylander said. “My doctor told me, ‘I’m going to cure you.’”

In the meantime, he does things that make him feel good, including singing open mike at On the Rocks despite his strained voice. “It’s something I hadn’t done in awhile,” he said. “I’m kind of a ham; I enjoy performing.”

Nylander hopes to feel good enough tomorrow to get up and sing with Redneck Jedi. He’s been friends with members of the band for years. 

For awareness, Nylander wants people to know the cause of his cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is widely known to affect women and lead to cervical cancer.

Less recognized is that “men are getting this HPV-related throat and tongue cancer [oropharyngeal],” Nylander explained. “It’s a good thing, in a way, because it makes my prognosis better.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that HPV “is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at some point in their lives.”

More than 9,000 men are newly diagnosed with “HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers” each year, compared to more than 2,000 women, according to the CDC.

However, “safe, effective” vaccinations are available for both girls and boys, according to the CDC.

The comprehensive buffet menu, prepared by chef Miguel Moreno, has something for every palate: Italian stuffed meat loaf, chicken Cordon bleu, bacon-wrapped venison medallions, homemade sausage, garlic and herb-roasted potatoes, dirty rice, sweet baked potatoes, honey dill carrots, dinner rolls, jalapeno cornbread, apple pie, peach cobbler and blackberry cobbler.

Owners Matthew Orlando and Leslie Orlando, plus the restaurant staff, are the primary organizers.

“People will definitely have a good time between the food and music,” Nylander said.

For questions about the event, call 830-637-7417.