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| Home » Outer Banks » Hometown Hero Runner Up | |
My 2009 Hometown Hero ContestRunner Up in the 2009 Hometown Hero Contest sponsored by Village Realty. Nominated by Ken Termini, Maureen wins a free stay at the Croatan Surf Club on the Outer Banks of NC. "My Hometown Hero is Maureen Kehoe. Maureen is Assistant Principal at a New Jersey Middle School. She affects thousands of kids and families in her position every day. But Maureen's influence is not limited to Phillipsburg. Maureen lives and raised her family in Nazareth, PA. She has a son, Derek, who (like Mom) was incredibly likable and popular. Not only was Derek a nice kid, but he was a HS basketball star and went on to play college basketball. He also had a smile that could light up a room. If you met Derek once, you remember him. But he also remembered you....like his Mom, he always made you feel special. Derek contracted and died from a rare and aggressive form of cancer just 16 months after graduating from High School. Leomyosarcoma (LMS) is the technical name for this cancer, which affects only 4 out of every million people. Since it is so rare little research was being conducted, and little money was being raised to educate people about this disease - and more importantly, to fund research for a cure. Enter Maureen. Most of us cannot image the death of a child, or the toll it would take on us. Add to it the rapidity of the disease, and the fact that Derek went from playing summer college basketball to end-stage cancer patient in a matter of months, and you are just beginning to grasp the grief Maureen endured. But instead of sitting back, she quickly formed the "Together for Derek" organization. With the help of many local volunteers, she has organized an annual "Together for Derek" 5K Run, which has averaged about $20,000 per year of revenue, all of which goes to the fight against LMS. She speaks at events about cancer, even though every event causes her to relive the pain of her loss. She continues to come out to Nazareth Basketball Games....we all believe there is an angel in that gym wearing #12 - Derek's number. Due in part to her efforts, all the local HS coaches began an annual "Coaches vs Cancer" night where the gate is donated to fight cancer, and many schools run supplemental fundraisers to drive the donation levels even higher. Maureen is a remarkable woman who has endured more grief than anyone should have to bear. But she has turned this horrible tragedy into a positive....while others would have disappeared into an isolated life of grief; she has flourished as a beacon of hope and a pillar of strength for the entire Nazareth Community. As a final note, Maureen, Derek, and their extended family enjoyed annual summer trips to OBX. This hero deserves the chance to take her extended family on another OBX vacation. I hope you agree..." Ken 
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