As a member of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office for many years, Paul
and Melissa Duren helped make St. Lucie County a safe and friendly place to
live and raise a family. Now it’s Paul and Melissa who need our help to do the
same for them. Last year, Paul Duren was diagnosed with Stage Four Melanoma,
and the prognosis was not very hopeful. Having been laid off from his job at
Piper, the family was left without income or insurance since April 2010.
Melissa, who has suffered through several painful back surgeries, is unable to
work. With three children ranging in age from 12 to 17, you can imagine how
difficult it’s been for the Duren family.
The Van Duzer Foundation is wondering if you’d like to help us help a
local family in need.
Wednesday, February 16th, the Van Duzer Foundation will be
hosting an evening of celebration and pizza. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of all sales
from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. will benefit the Duren family. That means every slice,
every beer, every soda, and even the salaries of everyone working that evening
will be donated back to Paul and Melissa Duren and their three children. There
will be music, activities for the whole family, bounce houses, raffle items, the
Avenue D Boys’ Choir, and a 50/50 drawing to help raise additional funds to
help with the many expenses overwhelming this local family in need. Florida’s
Blood Centers will also be on hand to collect donations of blood in honor of
Paul Duren, who has received several lifesaving pints of blood during his
battle with melanoma.
We’d love if you can help – either through a donation of a raffle item, a
monetary donation, or even just coming out for dinner and a good time that
evening. Everything – ONE HUNDRED PERCENT goes back to Paul and Melissa and the
kids. The Van Duzer Foundation wouldn’t have it any other way. Since 2008, the
Foundation has raised and donated more than $235,000 to help St. Lucie County
families in crisis, helped collect more than 2,500 pints of blood, raised over
39,000 pounds of food, and broken two world records to help raise awareness of
the needs of our community. But what it all comes down to is helping people in
need and sharing community in the truest sense.
If you’d like to be involved or
make a donation to help the Duren family, please contact Scott Van Duzer
directly at (772) 528-3467. We all know times are tough for all of us, and we
also know that it’s incredibly difficult for Paul and Melissa to accept help
from others when they’re the ones usually taking care of everyone else, but
imagine what it must be like for the Duren family right now? Battling melanoma
has to be hard enough – imagine having to battle losing your home and not
having enough to feed your children, too? Please do whatever you can to help
someone who has helped so many others.
