Door County Roasts Community and Family Man Dick Burress

Roasting longtime Door County resident Dick Burress will be “the easiest thing to do,” laughs roaster Greg Diltz, “I’ve known him for 40 years.”

On Nov. 11, friends, former co-workers, and family members of Burress, including Diltz, Fuzzy Sunstrom, Sue Daubner, Arleigh Porter, Katie Graf, and Burress’s son, Matthew Burress, will ‘roast’ Dick Burress by sharing stories and poking fun, all for a good cause – to benefit Door Community Auditorium. The lively event featuring local color and entertainment for all will be emceed by James ‘Digger’ DeGroot and Peter Diltz.

Burress, who acted as Door County’s director of Emergency Services for 37 years, is “jovial, a giver – not a taker – very compassionate person, and a good friend,” according to Greg Diltz, who started ambulance services in Northern Door with Burress in 1975.

“Dad’s a family man, a community man,” says Matthew Burress. “He’s a real giving type of guy – not the center of attention. This will be a unique experience for him.”

Matthew Burress looks forward to sharing stories of his father, who was born and raised in Door County. “He was tight with Fuzzy [Sunstrom] and JJ [Johnson]. They used to get in a bunch of shenanigans – things we would get arrested for today but were okay in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” laughs Matthew Burress.

The Benefit Roast for Door Community Auditorium will take place at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club, located at 5335 Horseshoe Bay Road in Egg Harbor. Spirits and appetizers will begin at 4 pm, dinner and the roast will take place at 5pm, with music and dancing to follow. To hear some local lore, enjoy music by Bacchus Lotus, and a savor a seasonal menu prepared by Chef Dave Patton, call the Door Community Auditorium at 920.868.2728 for tickets.