OGUNQUIT — With a smile stretched from ear to ear and his guitar in hand, James Orrigo is fundraising to send a child with a serious illness to camp.

OGUNQUIT — With a smile stretched from ear to ear and his guitar in hand, James Orrigo is fundraising to send a child with a serious illness to camp.



Orrigo, 21, a summer resident of York and senior at James Madison University, is singing his way up the seacoast in an attempt to raise a total of $2,500 by July 18 to fund a child's experience at The Hole In the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut.



"They love this camp," Orrigo said of the participants who are ages 7 to 15. "They live for this. It's their place to be themselves."



The Hole In the Wall Gang Camp was founded in 1988 by actor Paul Newman, with its title borrowing from the classic film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," and is open to children coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses who live in New England, New York or New Jersey.



As part of his fundraising effort, Orrigo will be performing throughout the holiday weekend at Cornerstone Artisanal Pizza and Craft Beer, located on Main Street in Ogunquit.



"I think it's fabulous," said Cornerstone owner John Cavaretta. "I think it's an amazing thing. The story is pretty incredible."



Without initially knowing the cause, Cavaretta brought Orrigo to Cornerstone's patio area after hearing him play outside on an Ogunquit street corner Tuesday afternoon.



"He was standing on the corner playing and I said, 'This kid is no beginner.' I went out there, heard him sing and play and I invited him to the patio," Cavaretta said. "I had no idea what he was doing until he was here. It's really great."



Orrigo said after he learned about the camp from his mother, he knew he wanted to become involved.



"I have a real tender spot for kids and I love summer. Any way that I could help, I knew I wanted to do it," Orrigo said.



After making contact with the camp, he was offered the chance to perform for campers July 18 and decided he wanted to go beyond putting on a fun show and "campership" the expenses for a child to attend the special camp program.



"I wanted to do more than just go and perform," Orrigo said. "If you want something, go do it. If you want to make a difference, you can do it. Put in the hard work and start going for it."



His recent involvement with The Hole In the Wall Gang isn't Orrigo's first attempt at giving back to the community. Earlier this year, Orrigo helped make a child's wish come true through the Make a Wish Foundation, a project that included fundraising $6,000.



Orrigo said the recipient of the wish was a 9-year-old girl named Ashlynn from Portland who was sent to a Disney resort in Hawaii.



He said one of the biggest influences on his desire to give back is his mother, who has terminal cancer.



"I've always been driven to do more. It's so important for people to think beyond themselves," Orrigo said.



The concept of reaching beyond one's own needs is also the inspiration for Orrigo's on-stage presence, "Lad in a Battle."



"Everyone has a story, you just have to ask the right questions. Everyone is a lad or lass in battle. It became a positive movement and positive concept that happened on accident," Orrigo said.



Realizing his musical talents also happened accidentally for Orrigo.



After he was diagnosed in high school with severe post-concussion syndrome resulting from a lacrosse injury, he was forced to relearn many basic functions, including speech, and soon learned he had a knack for singing and playing the guitar.



"I had to learn how to talk again. From that, I learned to play the guitar and sing," Orrigo said.



With the odds against him, he persevered when others told him he was better off quitting school, and gained local acclaim with his catchy, quirky songs, including "Boat Shoes," a Youtube hit.



"I still have issues with my memory. I make up a song, record it, and then I'll write down the music. That's how I make up all my songs," Orrigo said. "I'll be out on the streets, boardwalks of Maine, making up songs."



Orrigo's music videos are also filmed in the local Seacoast area and represent his love for his summer home.



"It's a place where everything is carefree," Orrigo said. "It's the way life should be."



For more information about Orrigo or to make a donation, visit http://ladinabattle.com.