'Dreams for Dean' Will Aid Premature Baby of Livingston Soccer Coach

Livingston soccer coach David Usher and his family - including his prematurely born infant son, Dean - need your help.

On Sunday, May 3, organizers with “Dreams for Dean” - a crowdfunding project established to raise money for Usher and his family - will host a fundraising bake and t-shirt sale to help Usher pay health care expenses for his son, who was born four months prematurely and is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit at Hackensack Medical Center.

The event’s organizers include some of Usher’s biggest supporters: second-grade students on the Livingston U8 Lady Lonestars travel soccer team.

The sales will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., near the soccer fields at Mount Pleasant Middle School.

According to a release, the online fundraising effort has raised nearly $7,500 since launching on April 18. Several sponsors have also donated in-kind items for the fundraising effort, including Sponsors include: The Ritz Diner, Philly Pretzel Factory, Starbucks, Kings, Shop Rite, Eppes Essen, Axis Promotions, Impact Unlimited, Quad Graphics, and JAKKS Pacific.

“We are overwhelmed by the team’s and the community’s support,” stated Usher. “There are no words to express how grateful we are. These kids are truly special, and [my wife] Kristie and I cannot thank their parents enough for all the support they’ve shown us.”

Online contributions can be made at the Dreams for Dean website.

Photos courtesy of Cheryl Gilberg

Photo 1: Livingston soccer coach David Usher and his wife, Kristie, celebrate the birth of their son, who is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit at Hackensack Medical Center.

Photo 2: Dean Usher, born four months prematurely, has rallied the Livingston community. A fundraising effort in his name has raised $7,500 since its inception.