3rd Annual Fundraiser most Successful yet, Raising $3,000 for a Cure

April 5^th would have been our daughter Aleah’s 3^rd birthday. Every year since her passing I have tried to do some type of fundraising in her honor. When she first passed we sold bracelets, then on her first birthday (I was pregnant with twins and high risk), we posted signs in our pizzeria/restaurant and a few friends participated in an Angels of Hope Campaign. We successfully raised $1k. Last year I tried a chain letter using the 25^th anniversary material. I am not really sure if it was that much of a success. My husband and I always wanted to hold a dinner benefit at our restaurant but were skeptical because our dining room only holds up to 100 people. With about 2 ½ weeks until her birthday we decided to go ahead and just keep it simple. I gave a few invitations to family, my husband sent out a mass text message. Initially we only anticipated about 40 people. The night before the event more responses poured in and we actually got nervous because we ran out of room. I put a post on facebook with a link to the donation website and her memorial page for anyone that could not attend. We are so proud of the amount of donations that have been made on Aleah’s behalf.

The dinner benefit was a huge success. The theme was “Appetite for a Cure” and the cost was $30 per person which included a full course meal and live entertainment. A close family friend Devon Walker teaches music and three of her girls that are constantly doing charity performances donated their time. These three young ladies, The Imitations, were incredible. My oldest daughter Dolce joined in the action with her friend Francesca and sang Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi”. Tonja Durazzo, Aleah’s aunt and godmother got incredible support from her boss and entire staff at South Street Salon in Manasquan, NJ. The salon generously donated $100 along with two gift certificates for a raffle. Aleah’s other aunt Carmela Durazzo made a DVD  with a collection of all Aleah’s pictures which played constantly thru the night. It was beautiful. She also donated two gift cards to Banana Republic to be raffled out. Maria Mangipane, a continuous supporter of FSMA had A&P Supermarket donate a gift basket. Tommy Hague, a friend of the family, works for Martels Tiki Bar in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. Over the holiday weekend he and a few staff members donated a percentage of their tips. Mike’s mom, Rosa Durazzo, made individual fruit salads and her famous Limoncello which everyone enjoyed. My mother brought a few of her friends and was in charge of chasing around the twins. It was definitely a rewarding experience and we are proud to be sending in these checks that total about $2,900. I am not sure what the total was for the on-line donations, but Mike and I are very proud.

Due to the nature of business that Mike and I are in, often it is difficult to attend some of the SMA fundraisers and functions. Our hearts are always with the other families. Hosting this benefit gave me an even stronger inspiration to do more. This organization has meant so much to us and definitely comforts us with our difficult loss.

Thank you,
Vicki & Mike Durazzo, Tom’s River, New Jersey

To see more photos from the event, click here.