To the Editor:
The Community Cancer Support Group would like to thank all of the people who helped to make our Gift & Toy Drive a success this year. Those gifts, which we were able to provide only through your love and support, were more than just practical gifts for children being treated in hospitals. Those gifts were profound reminders to these children and their families that they are not alone as they face unspeakable hardships in their young lives.
This project would not exist without the great holiday spirit of Mr. Bill Campbell, who allows us to take over his office and turn it into a mini North Pole each year. To Rocco Paolino, Tom Murphy, Buddy Klimkowski and Tom Cerbone for coordinating the drop-off sites and picking up donations. To my great driver, Tony Campano, and his assistant, Tyrone Sims, who helped at each hospital, thank you. To everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules to help us wrap and make up the beautiful packages for each child, we thank you for your time and talent, especially Teresa Caposello and her son, Lance, Maria Doria, Dottie Riscart, Cathy Adamkiewicz, Camille Squillante, Gail Scarfone, Linda Klimkowski, Linda Kocha, Terry O’Keefe, Diane Nelson, Barbara Pizer and her knitting group, Chickie Panaccione. To her talented group of helpers, the families of the children who received the blankets were overcome with gratitude. To everyone else who made a donation or stopped by to help for a few hours, thank you for your support and help.
A special thank you to the bank managers and their staffs for their help with our drive. Carol Coe and Alicia Miselis from Bank of America; Silvana Buccianti and Olivia Klim from Bayonne Community Bank; Audrey Zuckerman, Alfonse Bonadonna, Annie Houser and Rose Bates at Garden State Community Bank; Grace Krukowski, Rose Petrie, Bill Young, Michele Ruibal, Ernesta Leahy and Suzanne Dwyer from Pamrapo Bank; Mary Caamano and Gail Godesky from Provident Bank; Denise Gasbarro from Wachovia; and Jessie Mulchy from Washington Mutual. A thanks also goes out to Mayor Smith for the use of City Hall, Sneh Baines for the use of the main public library, and the staff of Bayonne Medical Center.
We would like to thank the following businesses and their customers for their support: Patrick Cunningham of Karate for Kids, Michelle Ferra and Fran Bracciodieta of Curves for Women, and The Arts Factory Theater and Lounge. Special thanks goes out to Mrs. Pat Russo, who is a loyal supporter of our drive each year. For our artistic posters, we thank David Lipyanka of Creative Edge.
Much gratitude and appreciation to our wonderful “Santas” Mr. Ed Broderick, Mr. Damian Andrisano and Mr. Edward Rutkowski. Their sincerity and compassion made this truly a wonderful Christmas for all of the children.
So, from the children being treated at Hackensack University Medical Center, Robert Wood-Johnson University Hospital, St. Peter’s University Hospital, St. Joseph’s Children Hospital, Overlook Hospital, Morristown Memorial Hospital and Newark Beth Israel Hospital as well as the children in our community of Bayonne Medical Center, we wish you a New Year filled with health and happiness.
BARBARA HOJNOWSKI
Community Cancer Support Group