Essex County Partners With Nonprofits to Help Raise Cash for Illnesses, Underprivileged Kids

Essex County will partner with three separate nonprofits to help raise cash for serious illnesses and underprivileged children, according to Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr.

The county will join forces with the Susan G. Komen North Jersey Race for the Cure, Give the Kids Hope Foundation Inc. and the Valerie Fund.

"Each of these well-respected organizations does a great deal to make a positive difference in and improve the quality life of our residents," DiVincenzo said Monday at a press conference in Codey Arena.

The Susan G. Komen North Jersey Race for the Cure, which raises money for breast cancer, will have its fourth annual race May 15 in Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex. This will be the organization's first year at the facility since it launched in Branch Brook Park in 2008.

"The success of this event, with the support and the partnership of Essex County and our county executive, has just been astounding," said Debroah Belfatto, founder and executive director of the Susan G. Komen North Jersey Race for the Cure. "Because of the growth of this event … it made perfect sense to bring it to this location."

County officials said the event attracted more than 12,000 participants last year and "outgrew" its original location at Branch Brook Park.

"It raises awareness ... It raises a lot of money and it saves lives," said Belfatto about the race. "And that's the bottom line and that's our commitment to the communities we serve."

The Give the Kids Hope Foundation provides recreational and educational opportunities to underprivileged children, as well as scholarships for kids to attend Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange and Camp Hope in West Milford. The organization will host its second annual David Harris Invitational Golf Tournament May 23 at Green Brook Country Club in North Caldwell. Harris is a linebacker who plays for the New York Jets.

"We're focusing right here in our own back yard in Essex County," said Allison Lastfogel, of Give the Kids Hope Foundation. "We're doing educational opportunities at Turtle Back Zoo and elsewhere."

As part of their effort, DiVicenzo said the zoo is extending its Zoo Camp program in the summer by an extra week to dedicate to inner-city kids from Newark.

"This is the first year we're doing this and part of the thing is to service underprivileged kids, so our sponsorship is going to help," he said. Roughly 50 kids will attend, according to the county executive.

Dr. Jeremy Goodman, the zoo's director, said the county added the additional week in August.

"This gives the kids the opportunity to get out of the inner city and see what the zoo is about," he said.

The Valerie Fund, which raises money for children with cancer and blood disorders, will host its fifth annual walk and 5K run June 11 at the county's Verona Park in Verona.

"Last year, the walk raised close to $250,000 to support our centers and we had close to 3,000 people at the park," said Barry Kirschner, executive director of the Valerie Fund. "We're way ahead of that this year." He said the organization expects close to 5,000 people in June.

Louis La Salle, St. Barnabas Medical Center's vice president of external affairs, said the cash raised by Susan G. Komen and the Valerie Fund events, goes back to the local hospitals and centers in Essex County, including St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville and Beth-Israel Hospital in Newark.

"They're doing great things," he said. "They're responding to the needs of the community."

DiVincenzo said participants in any of the three events will receive $5 admission tickets to Turtle Back Zoo, Codey Arena and the miniGOLF Safari for those specific days.

"With special causes like this, we're here to help," he said. "We want to make sure these events stay within Essex County because they're such great events."