PARK RIDGE, N.J.—Two and a half years ago, mother and daughter Gina and Dominique Franco raised funds at the Park Ridge Dairy Queen to help them take on New York’s two-day, 39.3-mile Avon Breast Cancer Walk.
Now that DQ outlet, owned by Judy DiBella at 176 Kinderkamack Road, has raised funds on the first anniversary of Dominique’s passing, the money going to her favorite cause, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
“She worked there and we thought it would be a great way to celebrate her, and they donated half of the day’s profits to St Jude’s,” Gina told Pascack Press last week.
“It was a terrible day but we turned it into a great day—as we will continue to do as long as we are walking this lifetime,” she said.
The donation amount was not released but the store was mobbed. Displays showed photos from Dominique’s too brief but abundantly happy life.
On Feb. 16, 2019, nursing student Dominique Ann Franco, 21, died suddenly while at the University of Rhode Island, leaving hundreds of family members, friends, and acquaintances in shock and grief.
Her funeral Mass, at Our Lady Mother of the Church in Woodcliff Lake, drew nearly 1,000, including her sorority sisters. Dominique was president of her sorority chapter, Zeta Tau Alpha.
The cause of death was not established, and after months with no answers the family began hearing baseless and unkind speculation.
“People have said awful things, like, ‘She died from illegal drugs,’ and that was not my daughter,” Gina told NBC10 Philadelphia. “She was more responsible at age 21 than some 50-year-olds I know and never for a second did our family ever think it was that.”
We last reported on the Francos after they launched a nonprofit foundation, Dominique Franco’s St. Jude’s Journey, which is reaching out to Pascack Valley and Northern Valley residents and businesses to seek help and donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
(For more, see And Dominique Fights On: Foundation Furthers A Daughter’s Mission, Jan. 21.)
The family and other supporters had just attended the unveiling of a plaque at St. Jude’s dedicating the children’s wing and a toy room in part in her honor.
Dominique organized her first fundraiser at 7, passing along thousands of dollars for cancer research at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Tomorrows Children’s Fund and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
She raised funds against children’s cancer for nearly 15 consecutive years.
In our report, Michael Franco, Dominique’s father, told Pascack Press, “We know a lot of people but we don’t know everybody. I wanted to let everyone know that they can get involved with this and that every contribution to St. Jude helps Dominique continue on her journey to help kids with cancer.”
The couple held on to an April 2009 Pascack Press report of one of her garage sale fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that she ran with friends.
Upcoming events to help raise funds for cancer research in Dominique’s name include a golf tournament and a Christmas tree lighting, Michael Franco said.
For information about donating or getting involved with Dominique Franco’s St. Jude’s Journey, call (201) 280-1438 or write mfranco@biohitech.com.