SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two Yellowknife bands, a celebrity sledder, and a professional extreme sport cinematographer will be at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre on Nov. 25 to rally support and funds for snowmobiling daredevil Darryl Tait, who is currently recovering from a serious accident at Vancouver General Hospital.

Darryl Tait is currently in Vancouver General Hospital with a severed spine, among other problems, after a snowmobile accident in New Hampshire. While he is in recovery his friends in Yellowknife have been rallying to raise money to help him get his life back on track once he's out of the hospital. - NNSL file photo

"We're targeting $20,000 to retrofit a vehicle for him, the vehicle he has, with all the bells and whistles," said organizer Kate Stapleton, who is the mother of Tait's good friend Chris Stapleton.

The last fundraiser on Oct. 31 -- a barbecue at Sir John Franklin High School -- raised more than $500, Stapleton estimated.

A group photo of everyone who showed up to the event was taken and sent to Tait as a show of support from Yellowknife. Tait was hospitalized with a severed spine, among other injuries, on Oct. 11 after his snow machine stalled during an attempted back flip at a freestyle contest in New Hampshire.

Stapleton is now putting everything in place for the next big benefit. The NACC event is being held Nov. 25.

"Ross Mercer, who is one of the top freestyle sledders in the world will be coming and signing photographs, and selling those as a fundraiser for Darryl," said Stapleton.

Mercer set the snowmobile long jump world record in 2007with a 263.5 foot jump.

Also, a well-known Whitehorse snowmobile cinematographer named Blake Wildfang will be at the event to support Tait.

Two Yellowknife bands, the Skinnys and Fish Be?, are slated to perform, and various professional snowmobile videos featuring Tait will be on screen.

Stapleton added that Pull Through Darryl website is no longer the preferred method of receiving donations.

"There is the website but we would like to see them make donations to the Scotiabank in Yellowknife," said Stapleton. "They can just go into the bank, and it's the Darryl Tait Trust Fund."

Tait's father Jamie said Darryl is doing well, and is still at Vancouver General Hospital.

"He's doing extremely well actually. He's got his feeding tube out of his throat and he's actually eating real food," said Jamie.

He said there are still some issues with Darryl's lungs, but the doctors are hoping to have those sorted out this week. As well, Jamie said Darryl's spirits are up.

"His pain counsellor is in a wheelchair and he was in yesterday, and he can help him a lot with anything from his pain to if the two of them need to talk about things, they can do it," said Jamie.

The family hasn't yet received their bill from the hospital in Boston, but they are in talks with their insurance company, and there is still a glimmer of hope in getting some reimbursement. Jamie had previously reported his stay in the hospital was costing the family $1,500 an hour US.

Jamie said the people at the hospital in Boston have stayed in touch and check in every so often to see how Darryl is doing.

"It's great to have great friends," said Jamie, speaking both of the new friends, as well as the generous friends in Yellowknife that he wanted to send out a huge thanks to.