Mitch Traphagen Photo
On Saturday, Jan. 21, hundreds gathered for a barbecue dinner and the chance to bid on dozens of items donated by individuals and local businesses to raise funds for Diego Duran, the 12-year-old boy shot by a bullet fired into the air on New Year’s Eve. The event was held at the SouthShore Falls Community Center. This weekend on both Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a community garage sale at the Firehouse Cultural Center at 101 1st Avenue NE in Ruskin, near the southeast corner of the intersection of Shell Point Road and U.S. Highway 41. Donations for the garage sale will be accepted at the cultural center on Friday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. After surgery last week, Diego has returned to his home in Ruskin to continue what is expected to be a long recovery. A Facebook page has been set up to provide updates on Diego at www.facebook.com/friendsofdiegoduran.
Among the items in the benefit raffle were a football autographed by NFL legend Fran Tarkenton and an award winning poster created by Diego for the 2009 Big Draw. Items were donated by individuals and area businesses.
