Celebrity book signing at McArthur Library in Biddeford to benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

This is a story where community crosses all kinds of lines and partnerships are formed to benefit the greater good; a story that could only take place in New England, which often feels like a small town itself.

Biddeford resident Jessica Johnson has been continuing her mother Dorothy's legacy and honoring her wishes since 2002. When Dorothy Garnett passed away from cancer, she told her daughter to “go out and do something good in the world.”

Johnson took those words to heart, and since that time, she has been an active force in the community, volunteering and helping in a multitude of ways, from assisting with organizing Biddeford’s marching band, to making color guard flags. During the pandemic, Johnson took up running as a new passion, trained hard, and ran two marathons in 2022. She has since run the Boston Marathon to raise money for both the Museum of Science, and most recently, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This year, Johnson will run in the Boston Marathon again for Dana-Farber, where she will continue to be part of the New England Honda Dealers team.

In another arena of sports, Dale Arnold is best known for his on-air presence and expertise as a Bruins broadcaster and NESN host. Jessica has known Arnold since meeting him last year at a local fundraising event she coordinated.

His voice is very familiar to hockey fans throughout New England. What some may not realize is that Dale has also authored three books, the latest of which is titled “Tough Guys.”

Arnold has done celebrity book signings for several of his titles in the past at a bookstore in Massachusetts, and his latest signing will be in Biddeford at McArthur Library, 270 Main St. The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m., and will benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Pre-registration is required for the event. Attendance is free, but donations are encouraged and suggested at $20 per attendee. To reserve your spot at the book signing and to donate to Jessica’s important cause, visit the signing’s Eventbrite link. You can make donations through Eventbrite or on site at the event.

When Jessica approached Dale to see if he would be willing to collaborate on this event to raise funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, he welcomed the opportunity. Jessica’s hope was to have the event hosted by McArthur Library, a library she grew up visiting. McArthur’s Adult Services Supervisor Nicole Clark and Library Director Jeff Cabral were excited to be approached to host this very special program.

Johnson said that Arnold will be selling and autographing Tough Guys, which highlights the gritty world of professional hockey, a game that has long held a place for two willing combatants. Off the ice, the men who step into these brutish roles are often the kindest, gentlest and most popular players on a team, not to mention some of the best storytellers to ever lace up skates. Arnold’s book honors the experiences of these NHL enforcers throughout history, profiling fighters across eras, sharing their journeys, struggles, and moments of glory.

Donations support the mission of an organization devoted to a fight at another level altogether. Since its founding in 1947, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts has been committed to providing adults and children with cancer with the best treatment available today while developing tomorrow's cures through cutting-edge research.

Johnson said she is still driven by her mother’s words all these years later.

“This means so much to me,” Johnson said of her prep work to qualify for this year’s marathon. “No one should have to lose a family member to cancer.”