Essex County announces partnerships with local charitable organizations

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced on Thursday, April 7, that Essex County is participating in 10 partnerships to increase awareness about and help raise funds for the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Arc of Essex County, New Jersey Children’s Alliance, Stop for Nikhil, The Valerie Fund, Arthritis Foundation, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s NICU, RWJBarnabas Health and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“Each of these well-respected organizations does a great deal to make a positive difference in and improve the quality of life for our residents. I invite the public to run, walk or donate to help out these really great causes,” DiVincenzo said. “To say thank you to these organizations and the thousands of people who support them, we are offering reduced admission to Turtle Back Zoo, Codey Arena and the miniGOLF Safari for the people who participate in these events.”

The organizations and their events are as follows:

• Arc of Essex County’s annual Building Tomorrows 5K Run and Family Walk, which was held April 9 at the South Mountain Recreation Complex, raised funds to help the Arc continue to provide supportive services for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. For information, visit www.arcessex.org. 
• Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s largest national fundraising event and will be held in person on Saturday, May 14, at Verona Park with registration at 10 a.m. and a 3-mile walk at 11 a.m. The mission of the foundation is to cure cystic fibrosis and raise awareness about this rare, genetic, life-shortening disease that makes it difficult to breathe. Registration is free, but walkers are encouraged to raise funds. For more information, visit www.fightcf.cff.org.
• The Arthritis Foundation’s Walk to Cure Arthritis will be an in-person event on Sunday, June 5, at the South Mountain Recreation Complex with registration at 8 a.m. and the walk at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.arthritis.org.  
• The Valerie Fund Walk and JAG Physical Therapy Walk and 5K Run will be an in-person event on Saturday, Sept. 17, in Verona Park with registration at 7 a.m., the 5K race at 8:30 a.m. and a walk at 10 a.m. Proceeds will be used to support the comprehensive care of children with cancer and blood disorders. For more information, visit TheValerieFund.org/Walk2022/.  
• The Nikhil Badlani Foundation will present the Stop for Nikhil 5K Run/3K Walk/5K Bike Ride as an in-person and virtual event on Sunday, Sept. 18, at West Orange High School, 51 Conforti Ave., with registration at 7:30 a.m., the bike ride at 8:15 a.m., the 5K run at 9:30 a.m. and the 3K walk at 9:45 a.m. The foundation is named for 11-year-old Nikhil Badlani, who was killed in a car accident in 2011 when the driver failed to stop at a stop sign. Its mission is to enhance the lives of children through music lessons, scholarships for graduating high school seniors, and traffic safety awareness and education. For more information, visit www.nikhilbadlanifoundation.org.
• The 22nd annual Miracle Walk to benefit Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will be an in-person event on Sunday, Oct. 9, at 9 a.m. in Verona Park. Miracle Walk funds have supported the purchase of advanced medical technology for the NICU. The walk also supports the Cooperman Barnabas staff, which treats 1,100 infants in the NICU annually. For more information, visit rwjbh.donordrive.com.
• The American Cancer Society will present Making Strides Against Breast Cancer as an in-person event on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m. at the Prudential Center in Newark. For information, contact liz.rodoussakis@cancer.org. 
• The annual Greater Northern NJ Heart Walk is scheduled for the Sunday, Oct. 16, at the South Mountain Recreation Complex. Proceeds will be used to raise awareness and support prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke. 
• The New Jersey Children’s Alliance will present the Heroes for Children 5K Run, Walk or Ride as an in-person event on Saturday, Oct. 22, at South Mountain Recreation Complex with registration at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K at 9 a.m.; a virtual event will be held Oct. 15 to 22. The 5K run is a USATF-certified run. The event will promote public awareness about child abuse issues and increase knowledge about the services of local children’s advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams and the difference these services make in a child’s life. For more information, visit www.njcainc.org. 
• RWJBarnabas Health’s Running with the Devils 5K Run & Walk will take place on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 30, at the South Mountain Recreation Complex, with options to join the 5K run around the reservoir, spend the day strolling around Turtle Back Zoo or running virtually from Oct. 1 to 30. All proceeds from the event will be used to support health care heroes in their efforts to protect and build healthier communities.

Participants in these events can receive $5 admission to Turtle Back Zoo, Codey Arena and the miniGOLF Safari in West Orange. The reduced admission is available on event days and participants must bring their race bib or proof of registration to receive the discount.

  American Heart Association, ARC of Essex County, Cancer, Codey Arena, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Devils, New Jersey Children’s Alliance, Nikhil Badlani Foundation, Prudential, RWJBarnabas Health, South Mountain Recreation Complex, Turtle Back Zoo, Valerie Fund, Verona Park