At first glance, you’d think Roscoe and Nekia Minnis have it made. An IRCC alumnus and nurse, Nekia is the proud mom of three beautiful children with her beloved husband, Roscoe, an academic advisor at IRSC. If you didn’t know better, you’d think life was perfect for the Minnis family; the truth is, Nekia has Stage 4 Breast Cancer which has spread to her bones and her brain, systematically and painfully invading nearly every inch of her body. Nekia can no longer work as a nurse, and while the family has a strong network of friends and family to help, the burden both financially and physically is nearly insurmountable. The Van Duzer Foundation wants to help the Minnis family stay in their home.

Wednesday, May 4^th, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Van Duzer Foundation will be hosting a benefit to help the Minnis family. During Minnis’ Miracles, one hundred percent of all sales at Big Apple Pizza, Fort Pierce (2311 S. 35^th Street), will be donated to the Minnis family. That includes food and beverage sales, all staff salaries, and tips. There will be door prizes, raffles, and a 50/50 drawing, plus entertainment courtesy of Traxx Entertainment, bounce houses from Chuck and Lori Entertainment, and a visit by the Avenue D Boys & Girls Choir. The evening will be fun for the entire family, and it’s an easy way to help share a little love with a family going through a really tough time. Florida’s Blood Centers will be on hand accepting donations of blood, too, so if things are tight and you still want to share, why not consider sharing the gift of life in honor of Nekia Minnis and others whose lives depend upon the gift of your blood?

Formed three years ago, the all-volunteer Van Duzer Foundation has raised more than $350,000 to help individuals and families in St. Lucie County who are struggling with financial and personal hardship brought about by unforeseen crisis or tragedy. Most recently, the foundation hosted One Day to Give, a 24 hour food drive which garnered 116,922  pounds of food for distribution through Mustard Seed Ministries and the Treasure Coast Food Bank. To learn more about Van Duzer Foundation, or to find out how you can help the Minnis family, please visit the organization’s web site at www.thevanduzerfoundation.org.