'Saving Evan' fundraiser nets $10,000

200 attend function for four-year-old Evan Procko

On Friday evening, May 23, a crowd of approximately 200 people came to the Branford High School auditorium to help raise money and show support for four-year-old Evan Procko, who was recently diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This condition will shorten his life expectancy to his late teens or early twenties, unless a cure is found.

The event was hosted by Miss Florida Kylie Williams, and organized by Diane Walker of Friends Fine Things, as well as Evan's parents, Bill and Kim Procko of O'Brien.

The evening's entertainment included singers, dancers and performers, both amateur as well as professional, with several drawings mixed in between the acts. A large part of the donations came from the auction which rallied at times, to the point of bringing members of the audience to tears. A good example of this was the auctioning of a Disney Dalmatian quilt, knitted and donated by Elaine Nemeth of Bell. The quilt ended up raising a final bid of $2,000. As if that weren't enough, the buyers of the quilt, Rick and Lelia Ginder of Gainesville, then turned around and gave it back to Evan. Other amazing examples of generosity were two autographed UF Gator Tim Tebow posters, which sold for $500 each, and several locally donated cakes, which sold for hundreds of dollars.

Items were donated from as far away as Hawaii and Nantucket Island. A skateboard personally signed by Tony Hawk was even donated for the event.

Recent fund raising activities which have been occurring in the Branford area also attracted the attention of "Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy" president and founder Debra Miller of Los Angeles. She and her husband began the foundation five years ago, when their only son, Hawkin, was diagnosed with DMD. Debra actually flew to Florida to be part of the event, and to witness first-hand the warmth of our community.

The event was an extreme success, raising more than $10,000 dollars in donations. The Prockos would like to thank the citizens and businesses of Suwannee Valley for bringing them one step closer to saving their son. The evening donations, they believe, will have immediate and measurable impact to save Evan and this generation of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy boys. For more information on their cause, please go to www.saveourson.org.

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