12-year old Diego Duran has garnered national support since being struck by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve.
By Adam Musgrave
A series of fundraising events is underway that aims to provide assistance for the family of Diego Duran, the 12-year-old boy struck by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve.
Two events so far, a barbecue dinner and a garage sale, have met with great success, drawing an outpouring of support for the Duran family. The dinner took place on January 21 and the garage sale on January 28 and 29.
The dinner alone drew more than 300 people, according to Teo Leonard, who helped to put the event together. A local DJ and magician also attended to provide entertainment and to ensure the dinner’s success.
In addition to individuals like Leonard, a number of corporate sponsors have come together to help out. Among the many organizations offering assistance are Sweet Bay, ACE Hardware and the South Shore United Methodist Church.
There has been no shortage of groups looking for ways to help. The garage sale was sponsored by the Firehouse Cultural Center and the SouthShore Arts Council. The barbecue dinner was planned and run by family friends with the support of other individuals in the community and each of these groups offered its sponsorship on its own.
Since the beginning, the family has asked only for the thoughts and prayers of supporters, stressed Leonard. In the long run, however, he and others believe that efforts to raise funds will be of great help to the Duran family.
“The family needs a hundred percent of its effort to go to supporting Diego’s recovery,” Leonard said. He said that the fundraisers that he and others have been planning exist to ensure that they are allowed to do just that.
Meanwhile, a Facebook page devoted to Duran has garnered support and prayers from across the country. Every day, status updates appear, apprising followers of Duran’s progress and concerned members of the community offer their encouragement and prayers for the Duran family.
For more information on Duran’s continuing recovery, to offer support, or to make a donation, visit “Friends of Diego Duran” on Facebook.
