To the Editor:
The Community Cancer Support Group would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who came together to make our toy and gift drive a success. For bringing the true spirit of the holidays to these children and their families we thank Donald Mindiak, Tom Coughlin and the entire staff of BCB Community Bank. We are grateful for your continued support. To the guys who are the foundation of this drive Rocco Paolino, John McGovern, Ed Rutkowski, Buddy Klimkowski, Phil Higgins, Neil Nelson and Tito Lopez, thank you for all of your hard work. To Damion Andrisan and Ed Rutkowski, our Santa’s and my elves Jonathan Ramos, Emilia Popow, Olivia Guardino, Kaylee Higgins and her friend Casey thank you for your time. To Mike Elia, Mike Zajack, Rich Svercauski, Paul Newman and Joe Lynch your driving skills and help are deeply appreciated. To all of our knitters, thank you for the beautiful blankets and hats for our infants and toddlers.
For their most generous donations we thank Pat Russo, Ernie, Ken and Renee Poesl, Maryellen Quinn, Penny Bardet, Diane Turetsky, Barbara Kubert and Gail Scarfone. Thank you to Marybeth Grant and MaryAnn Wolenski for planning a night of music and toys at the Big Apple for us and to owners Vinnie and Toni Bottino. To Linda Klimkowski, President of the Community Cancer Support Group, none of this is possible without you and the hundreds of things that you do to ensure this is a success year after year. To the countless people who at a day’s notice came and wrapped and made packages as we received the lists and took time from their busy schedules we especially thank Teresa and Lance Caposella, Cathy Adamkiewicz, Albina Piazza, Linda and Jennifer Lojewski, Jacklyn Lucas, Pam Scalafone, Kthy McNulty, Reyna Fallarme, Mia Ruhlen, Cindy Gallagher, and Meaegan and Alexandra Duran.
Special thanks go out to all of the financial institutions and their staffs that year after year support and help us get what we need to the hospitals: Bank of America, Garden State Community Bank, Provident Bank, Wells-Fargo, and Chase, Thank you! Thanks go out to Barbara DeBenedictis and the Peer Group of School No. 14, Cindy De-Russo of Tropical Tanning and Stanley Wojciechowski of Chances, for the wonderful collection of beautiful gifts for us. To TJ Johnston and Tyrone Simms who coordinates the adult party and City Hall and Public Library collection thank you. To Maria Doria for collecting and wrapping gifts, thank you. To Allison Miller and the staff at Bayonne Medical Center thank you for your generous donations. To George Delaney and the Bayonne Rugby Club, thank you for the gifts. To Shop-Rite Corporations, you truly are a community business to everyone who saw our need and made a donation, thank you!
From the families and staffs at Hackensack University Medical Center, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Robert-Wood Johnson University Hospital, Overlook Hospital, St. Joseph’s Children Hospital and St. Peter’s University Hospital as well as the children who needed to use the family clinic, emergency room and take part of the special programs in our own city we thank you all for your kindness and generosity and wish you a happy and healthy New Year!
BARBARA HOJNOWSKI