The 2013 Ray of Hope Gala Committee in collaboration with the Monmouth County Board of Catholic Charities, announced Feb. 5 that Middletown residents Pat and Larry Durso were selected as the recipients of the 2013 Ray of Hope Community Service Award in recognition for their contributions to Catholic Charities programs in Monmouth County, as well as several other local organizations.

The Dursos will be honored at the 16th annual Ray of Hope Gala on Friday, April 26 at Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club in Farmingdale. The event is part of Catholic Charities’ centennial celebration.

“Pat and Larry truly enjoy helping others and can always be counted on to lend a helping hand,” said Barbara Willis, Monmouth County Board of Catholic Charities Chair and 2013 Ray of Hope Gala Co-Chair. “They exemplify the true spirit of giving and volunteerism; we are proud to honor their service to the community this year.”

Married for 36 years, the Dursos are both originally from Brooklyn, N.Y. They met at St. John’s University the first day of their freshman year and graduated together in 1975. Larry went on to earn a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1977.

In 1986, the Dursos moved to Middletown and that same year, joined St. Leo the Great in Lincroft. In addition to raising their two sons, Michael, 28, and Joseph, 26, both graduates of St. Leo the Great School and Christian Brothers Academy, they have managed to juggle careers and volunteer for numerous organizations.

Throughout the years, Pat and Larry have lent their support to St. Leo the Great, CBA, Catholic Charities of Monmouth County, American Cancer Society’s annual Cancer Ball, St. Leo’s Lunch Break Program, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Daughters of St. Paul and The Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund.

Although the Dursos volunteer together as a couple, they each individually give their time to support many other organizations. Pat is a volunteer at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank, and since 2009, she has knitted 200 hats for California-based Knots for Love, an organization that supplies cancer centers across the country with knitted hats for women, men and children.

She has been a registration aide for the annual Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Run/Walk and has served on various committees for Catholic Charities of Monmouth County including Ray of Hope Gala Ad Journal Committee Co-Chair, Parish Outreach, Christmas Mission, and Beacon House, a transitional group home for homeless young men ages 17 to 21 and a semi-supervised apartment program for young men and women.

She also participates in the annual back-to-school supplies drive for Project F.R.E.E. (Families in Recovery, Education and Employment), an outpatient substance abuse treatment program for women and their families who are DYFS involved and receiving public assistance. She is also a past president of the Parent Teacher Association at St. Leo the Great School and was active in the CBA Mother’s Club.

“We’ve been very blessed and fortunate in our lives. I just wanted to help people who weren’t as fortunate as us,” Pat said, adding that they have always helped out in the community but have more chances to do so now that their children are on their own. “We didn’t have much growing up. We’re blessed now and just wanted to give back. We wanted to give our time. Catholic Charities has same feelings I have. I just believe in the work that they do. It turns out to be great socializing also. We meet wonderful people that have the same ideas as we do.”

Larry currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Two River Theater Company, Red Bank, and The Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund. He is also a member of the theater’s Finance Committee. Previously, Larry was the president of the St. John’s University Staten Island Alumni Association.

Since 1978, Larry has built his career in the financial services industry, focusing on wealth management and retirement planning. He is currently the executive director of Investments for the Durso Wealth Management Group at Morgan Stanley in Red Bank.

New Jersey Monthly magazine selected Larry as one of the 2013 Five Star Wealth Managers, an elite group that represents less than two percent of the top wealth managers in the N.J. area. He has also been quoted in many finance magazines and was recently featured in Living Media magazine in the “Ask the Expert” section.

His honors and achievements include Prudential Securities Director’s Council, President’s Council and Chairman’s Council.  He was a member of the Prudential National Mutual Fund Council and the Prudential Speakers Bureau.  He was also a Wells Fargo Premier Advisor and a member of their Chairman’s Council.  In 2004, Larry was a recipient of the Terrence Cardinal Cooke Medal from St. John’s University, an honor bestowed upon individuals who have made significant contributions to the life of the Staten Island campus.

Each year the Ray of Hope Gala supports Catholic Charities’ programs that provide temporary and permanent housing, trauma counseling, child and family counseling and fix-it services. These services benefit people in need in Monmouth County, regardless of religious affiliation.

Ray of Hope Gala sponsorship and ad journal opportunities are available and donations for the silent and live auctions are also being accepted. To learn more about the Gala and Catholic Charities, visit www.catholiccharitiestrenton.org/monmouth. For more information contact Barbara Willis at 732-995-6893.