NJCA 5K raises nearly $15,000 to help abused children

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The third annual Heroes for Children 5K and Family Fun Walk was held Oct. 1 at the South Mountain Recreation Complex’s Clipper Pavilion in West Orange. More than 300 neighbors, community members and friends donned their favorite superhero costumes for a fun-filled day to help raise awareness about child abuse and neglect in New Jersey and to learn about the difference local children’s advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams can make in a child’s life.

This year’s event recognized two people with the 2016 NJCA Heroes Award: licensed clinical social worker Susan Rekedal, a recently retired MDT coordinator from Monmouth County who dedicated 40 years to the field, and Sgt. Amy Pisano, who has worked tirelessly as a forensic interviewer and an investigator in Camden County.

The event raised almost $15,000 to benefit the New Jersey Children’s Alliance and CACs and MDTs in all 21 counties through registration fees and sponsorships.