The 2020 State of Robbinsville Township/Pay it Forward event is set for April 28, 2020 at The Stone Terrace by John Henry’s.
Needless to say, you will not want to miss it.
While we are still making our list and checking it twice regarding this year’s worthy recipient(s), I am proud to announce the community-based theme will revolve around our current “We (heart) R’Ville Neighbors” campaign, which has generated not only considerable buzz around town, but it has upped the ante in terms of helping our fellow man.
The campaign, launched last fall, awards car magnets to individuals in town who perform good deeds. You must be nominated to receive the magnet, or be “caught in the act” helping others. The C.A.R.E. program, a registered 501c3, will serve as the fiscal sponsor for this year’s SOTT event.
The fifth incarnation of our groundbreaking “Pay it Forward” initiative in 2019 generated over $65,000 in both monetary donations and non-perishable goods for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, which feeds hundreds of children annually throughout Mercer County and elsewhere. The Township and its Hydroponic Farm partnered with MSF in 2018, with hundreds of heads of organically-grown lettuce donated to the food bank for distribution throughout the area to supplement those suffering from food insecurity.
Since 2015, our “Pay it Forward” events have raised in excess of $300,000 for local individuals, families and organizations.
The goal this year is to once again exceed our goals.
We keep raising the bar on ourselves in the ongoing mission of helping others, and it truly has been a collaborative effort. Event sponsors over the past five years have been incredibly generous, while our five previous recipients have expressed gratitude that warms our collective hearts to this day.
The C.A.R.E. (Community Addiction Recovery Effort) program and its mission has expanded to every municipality in Mercer County, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to deploy it as this year’s fiscal sponsor.
Donations and sponsorships to C.A.R.E. are used for partial scholarships, travel and lodging expenses en route to recovery, and other essentials items necessary for treatment and recovery.
Just a reminder that admission to the C.A.R.E. program does not absolve the arrestee from his/her legal obligations, including fines and/or possible imprisonment. It does, however, provide a pathway to a life free from addiction to opiates.
We will be releasing complete details about this year’s State of Robbinsville Township/Pay it Forward event in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!
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Congratulations to councilmen Ron Witt, Dan Schuberth and councilwoman Chris Ciaccio, who were sworn in on Jan. 23 to serve new, four-year terms. Mr. Witt will once again serve as council president, while Mike Cipriano returns for his second stint as vice president.
I’d like to welcome Hope Cahill to the Robbinsville team as our new Hydroponic Farm Coordinator. We have no doubt that Hope will do a fantastic job elevating our wildly popular program to even greater heights.
Additional congratulations to Laura Francolino and Jennifer Miller, who were recently honored as the Robbinsville High “Teacher of the Year” and “Educational Service Professional of the Year,” respectively. Thank you for all you do to educate and guide our students!
