Fund-raiser reflects Scituate's affection for a paralyzed youth
Prizes ranging from a weekend at the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire to a Red Sox jersey signed by David Ortiz will be auctioned or raffled off, but it’s not just a fund-raiser.
It’ll feature music by the jazz band "The Gathering," but it’s more than a concert.
Comedian Steve Sweeney has agreed to host the evening, but for its organizers, Friday’s “Night of Endurance, Love, and Determination” at the House of Blues on Lansdowne Street in Boston isn’t a laughing matter.
“We want it to be a night that Eric and the Donovans will never forget,” said Jennifer Vitelli, who has been helping plan the event.
"Eric" is 22-year-old Eric Donovan [at left], who became paralyzed from chest down after a diving accident at The Spit last summer -- just weeks after he had been told he was free from Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancer he was diagnosed with at 15, event organizers said.
Compounding the family’s shock, Eric’s father, Mike, a captain with the Fire Department, was among the emergency responders who treated his son on the beach that day.
To help the family with long-term medical expenses – Eric is currently doing outpatient care at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston – supporters have been planning the House of Blues event for months, Vitelli said.
“We meet every Wednesday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall,” she said of the roughly 15 people who have been working to bring the event together.
They do it because they love the Donovans, Vitelli said, and want to establish an account that can support the family for years to come.
“Eric and the Donovan family have touched a lot of lives,” she explained. “There’s been a trust set up for Eric’s medical care, and hopefully we’ll raise enough to keep it going."
Eric is well-known around town, organizers say, because he worked as a camp counselor with the Scituate Recreation Department for years and impressed people with his positive disposition.
"Eric is the single most compassionate, loving, and genuine person I have ever known,” said Michael Donovan, Eric’s uncle, in a written statement. “Just an all-around great soul!”
And it is for that reason, Vitelli and organizers say, that Friday’s event, which they say could bring as many as 1,000 guests, each paying $50 a ticket, is as much a celebration as a fund-raiser.
“When he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma on his 15th birthday, there was fear and anxiety, but not an ounce weakness or doubt...just determination and motivation,” said Michael Donovan. “He has proven himself before…He will do it again!”
“A night of Endurance, Love, and Determination: A Benefit for Eric Lewis Donovan” will take place at 6 p.m. at the House of Blues in Boston. For more information, visit http://www.eld2010.com. Tickets are still available at Scituate Fire Headquarters, Lemon Line Salon in Cohasset, KA Ricco Hair Design, and Belsan Bait and Tackle.
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