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onmouseout="javascript:this.src='HTMLobj-2501/o.jpg'" onmouseover="javascript:this.src='HTMLobj-2501/h.jpg'" onmouseup="javascript:this.src='HTMLobj-2501/h.jpg'" onmousedown="javascript:this.src='HTMLobj-2501/p.jpg'"></a>  </B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=420 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B> Latest News</B></I><I><B> <A NAME="skype"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Volunteers Invited to Pack Boxes for US at 6</B><B>th</B><B> annual Christmas packing in Manville Nov. 13th</B></div> <div>  </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#080000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > </FONT><B><IMG SRC="a790dae0.jpg" border=0 width="269" height="174" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="4">MANVILLE - </B>Volunteers are invited to join Operation Shoebox New Jersey staff pack gift boxes and send Christmas greetings to U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan at its sixth annual Christmas packing and Santa’s Workshop Nov. 13.</div> <div>  The packing and workshop will be at the Kavanaugh VFW Post #2290, 600 Washington Ave., Manville, with registration at 11 a.m., followed by opening ceremonies. Packing begins at 11:30 a.m. A light lunch will be provided.</div> <div> Soldiers and Marines who were recipients of OPSHBX NJ gift packages are expected to attend and extend their thanks to the volunteers.</div> <div> OPSHBX NJ will provide crafts material for volunteers to make ornaments that will be packed inside each gift box.</div> <div> Volunteer packers are encouraged to donate personal care items for shipment, including snacks and toiletries. Check the shopping list on our website and bring along a bag of needed items.</div> <div> The packages sent overseas will include cans of tuna, cans of fruit, trail mix, beef jerky, gum, candy, granola bars, powdered drink mixes, coffee, tea, oatmeal, hot chocolate, toothpaste, tooth brushes, ear swabs, moist wipes, sun block, eye drops, soap, shampoo, socks, stationary, envelopes, pens, batteries and other items.</div> <div> Volunteers will also have the opportunity to sit down and write a short letter or Christmas card to the troops; all cards and letters will be inserted into the boxes. We'll also add stuffed animals and other gift items for the troops to hand out to young Iraqi and Afghan children.</div> <div> Since its founding in February, 2005, OPSHBX NJ volunteers have shipped over 36,000 personal care packages overseas.</div> <div> Financial support is also needed to help pay the costs of shipping the packages. All donations are tax deductible. Volunteers are asked to sign up in advance on the OPSHBX NJ website.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Call Operation Shoebox New Jersey headquarters at (908) 698-0333 for further informatio</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Fifth Graders Skype with Airman in Afghanistan</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="a8a17d10.jpg" border=0 width="279" height="209" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="7" VSPACE="10">It was no ordinary day at Whiting Elementary school, as fifth grade students gathered in front of an interactive whiteboard connected to Skype, the web video call site, eagerly awaiting the moment when Airman Michael Harrold’s image would appear on the screen, live from his military base in Afghanistan.</div> <div> Standing by was Harrold’s mom, Darlene Rasmussen, who arranged the chat to thank the students for their help in collecting supplies for care packages to be sent to the troops through Operation Shoebox New Jersey. “This is the first class we’ve ever done this with,” said Rasmussen.  </div> <div> As Harrold’s image appeared on the screen from halfway around the world, the students excitedly waved to him through the webcam.  It was about 10:00 a.m. Whiting time and 6:30 p.m. Afghanistan time, and Airman Harrold was just getting off work. The video image was a little fuzzy but the audio connection was very clear.  Harrold, who is 20 years old  and a graduate of Colts Neck High School, is stationed at Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, about five kilometers from the Pakistan border.  He has been in Afghanistan since July 2010 and is scheduled to return home in January.</div> <div> Rasmussen invited the students to come up to the computer individually and ask a question of her son.  Below are some of the questions and responses:</div> <div> <I>How is the food?</I>  Harrold said most of the food they get ‘is not very good’ but that he has been able to try some local cooking, including goat and sheep meat.</div> <div> <I>What do you like best in the care packages?</I>  “Chapstick is something we all really appreciate here.”</div> <div> <I>What do you do for fun?</I>  “We like to play poker; sometimes we use rocks if we don’t have any poker chips.  We try to make the best of everything.”  Mom added that he also enjoys watching his favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and sometimes stays up all night to watch a game.</div> <div> <I>Do you like being in the service?</I>  “Absolutely.  When I first joined I really liked it, then I had a hard time for while, but now I realize how much I’ve learned that I never would have done without the service and I know I absolutely made the right decision.”</div> <div> <I>What do you do (for work)?</I>  Harrold is in the Air Force and his specialty is ground radio communication maintenance.  He said he is assigned to work with Army personnel on base and he also supervises six local Afghan soldiers.</div> <div> <I>If you didn’t join the Air Force what would you be doing?</I>  “I’d probably be attending a four-year college.  I’m taking college courses now and hope to get a degree when I get home.”</div> <div> <I>Do you miss your family? </I> “Absolutely.  I’d do anything to be home right now.”</div> <div> <I>How many soldiers are at your base?</I>  “There are about 800-900 at Spin Boldak, but I am actually in an FOB (Forward Operating Base) with only 17 people here.”</div> <div> <I>Where do you live?</I>  “I live in a small house that we built out of wood.  Originally, it was just a giant room with 8 beds, but then we put up walls so we each have our own little bedroom space.”  He rotated the camera to show his tiny room that barely fit his small bed and a nightstand.</div> <div> <I>Where do you shower?</I>  “We go the shower tent that’s nearby.”</div> <div> <I>What’s your favorite part of the day?</I>  “When I get off work.”</div> <div> Rasmussen said that the soldiers work 12 hours a day or more everyday, with no weekends off.  She asked Harrold to describe a typical day.  “I’m up at 4:30 and I go to the gym tent.  It’s not much but it does the job.  Then I shower and go to work, get yelled at by the Colonel a little bit, later I might get yelled at a little more, then sometime around 5:00 to 8:00 I get off work.  I talk to my family and then I go to bed.”</div> <div> Then it was time for Airman Harrold to sign off.  He thanked the students and they said goodbye.  </div> <div> Rasmussen told the students that Project Shoebox NJ would like to arrange a packing session at Whiting School, perhaps in late January, and that she would also like to arrange for her son to be there in person to meet the students.  She said he should be back at his base in Virginia around January 19 and would return home to Bricktown for a visit soon after that.  </div> <div> “I want to thank you so much for your hard work collecting supplies to be sent our soldiers overseas,” she said.  “Thank you also for the cards you made.  They were amazing and a lot of them are on their way right now to the troops.  We recently packed 600 boxes, including the items you collected.  I can’t tell you how exciting it is for them to receive these packages.  They don’t have much of their own.  They have a large backpack that holds everything they own – they are living out of their backpack.”</div> <div> What did the students think of the Skype experience? “It was exciting to talk to a soldier from half way around the world,” said ReAnna Barstow.  Kylee Bell said, “It was incredible.  You don’t get to talk to a soldier everyday, and get to do it in school on Skype, and all the way from Afghanistan.”</div> <div> Whiting School’s Junior Impact Club has already begun another collection for Operation Shoebox.  For more information on what is needed, visit www.manchestertwp.org/news/ws_collection_for_troops.html  or call the school at 732-350-4994.</div> <div> Operation Shoebox New Jersey is a volunteer, grass roots organization dedicated to collecting donated supplies and shipping care packages to U.S. troops based in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle East countries. They are a registered 501c3 non-profit charity.  To date, the organization has shipped more than 36,000 packages to troops deployed overseas. More information is available on their website at www.opshoeboxnj.org.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Eat, Drink & and Be Grateful:</div> <div> Wine tasting to benefit deployed US troops</div> <div>  <a href="HTMLobj-2696/wine.pdf"><u>Click here for flyer</u> </a>  </div> <bR> <div> <B>NEPTUNE</B> – The Beacon Street Grille on Route 66 will host a premium wine tasting Saturday, Nov. 20 beginning at 7:30 p.m. to raise funds that will help send personal care packages to US troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.</div> <div> The fund raiser is being held to benefit Operation Shoebox New Jersey, according to John Slipek, owner of Beacon Street Grille and Gil Benjamin, executive chef.</div> <div> Guests will have the opportunity to sample premium wines from over ten major wineries, and to fill their plates from a carving station and pasta station as well as fruit and cheese.</div> <div> Wines will be available for purchase by the bottle or by the case in time for the holiday season, for gift giving or to savor throughout the year, according to Benjamin. </div> <div> A Chinese auction featuring wines, illustrations by noted sports artist James Fiorentino and other merchandise will be held to benefit Operation Shoebox New Jersey throughout the evening.</div> <div> “Many of those who have already made their reservations are including their employees and are hosting their holiday office parties with us while supporting a worthwhile cause,” Benjamin said. Operation Shoebox New Jersey is a 501c3 non-profit corporation.  All donations are tax deductible.</div> <div>  The donation is $100 per person. Tickets can be purchased online using a credit card or PayPal at www.beaconstreetgrill.com.</div> <div> Proceeds will be donated to OPSHBX NJ, a non-profit corporation dedicated to maintaining a supply line of personal care packages for US troops overseas. Since its founding in 2005, volunteers have shipped over 36,000 packages to US troops in the Mideast.</div> <div> The restaurant has already exceeded its goal of helping to raise $75,000 for non-profit organizations this year. “There are so many non-profit groups out there that need help,” Benjamin added. “We like this cause, helping the troops, I’ve always felt we should rally behind our guys.”</div> <div> Slipek and Benjamin are both veterans of the Vietnam War.</div> <div> Further information is available by calling the restaurant at 732 918-8711 or Operation Shoebox New Jersey at (908) 698-0333.</div> <div> The Beacon Street Grille is located at 3205 State Highway 66, Neptune, NJ 07753 and is open seven days from 11:30 a.m. daily</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Beacon Street Grille hosts fund raiser</div> <div> for Operation Shoebox New Jersey</div> <div> <IMG SRC="a7647fa0.jpg" border=0 width="327" height="250" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">NEPTUNE – The Beacon Street Grille on Route 66 will host a fund raiser for Operation Shoebox New Jersey Thursday, Sept. 30 from 5 p.m. until closing to help send personal care packages to US troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.</div> <div> The fund raiser is being held in conjunction with a packing event at St. Mary’s R.C. Church in Colts Neck on Oct. 16 under the auspices of OPSHBX NJ. The parish has been collecting supplies that will be packed in personal care packages by volunteers and then shipped overseas.</div> <div> A portion of all food and beverage checks will be donated to OPSHBX NJ, a non-profit corporation dedicated to maintaining a supply line of personal care packages for US troops overseas. Since its founding in 2005, volunteers have shipped over 36,000 packages to US troops in the Mideast.</div> <div> John Slipek, owner of the restaurant, is a parishioner at St. Mary’s.</div> <div> “We do a lot of fund raising,” explained Gil Benjamin, the restaurant’s executive chef.  “Anyone who can stand on their own two feet should reach out and help other people,” he added.</div> <div>  The restaurant has already exceeded its goal of helping to raise $75,000 this year. “There are so many non-profit groups out there that need help,” Benjamin added. “We like this cause, helping the troops, I’ve always felt we should rally behind our guys.”</div> <div> Slipek and Benjamin are both veterans of the Vietnam War.</div> <div> Further information is available by calling the restaurant at 732 918-8711 </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Operation Shoebox New Jersey joins</B></div> <div> <B>Flemington Department Store to honor military families</B></div> <bR> <div> Marty Resnick and his brothers, owners of Flemington Department Store have a well-deserved reputation as good neighbors, extending themselves and their store to ensure the success of fund raisers and other projects devoted to a good cause.</div> <div>      Their latest project is Military Appreciation Weekend, a home style salute to members of the military and their families which will be held at the Route 31 store on Oct. 2 & 3.</div> <div>      Complete with vintage military equipment and displays, the public is invited to stop by Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.</div> <div>      Several veterans organizations including Rolling Thunder, Wounded Warriors and the Marine Corps League will participate and host displays. Visitors are also asked to bring donations of food and toiletries that will be collected by Operation Shoebox New Jersey volunteers.</div> <div>      OPSHBX NJ sends personal care packages to US troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.  </div> <div>      Resnick will also showcase the talents of Paige and Ashley Dellavalle, two sisters from East Amwell that graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and who are now making their way in the fashion industry.</div> <div>      Flemington Department Store is an outfitter for police, fire and rescue personnel in the tri-state area, many of whom served in the military; many of Resnick’s employees also come from a military background.</div> <div>      “We have several people here that are ex-military and they talk about what they’ve done, giving several years of their lives and we have police, fire and rescue people who come in here all the time, they’re former military people and as we got involved with wanting to do this, you realize that we actually owe these people for what they’ve put out for us to protect our freedoms,” Resnick said.</div> <div> Communications students from Hunterdon Central High School will be on site to film the weekend, according to Resnick; the video will be edited for local cable television.</div> <div>      Ashley Dellavalle served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008 after graduating West Point. When she returned stateside she got together with her sister to launch Stella Valle, a company that is marketing a line of leather bracelets and interchangeable charms the sisters designed. The sisters donate a portion of each sale to the Wounded Warriors organization, which lends assistance to U.S. military wounded overseas and thei rfamilies.</div> <div>  The company’s website is www.stellavalle.com </div> <div>      Members of the 57th Troop Command Army National Guard unit based at the Flemington Armory off Route 12 will also be on hand. </div> <div> U.S. Army Col. Bogdan Gieniewski (Ret.) of the Allied vs. Axis Historical Foundation will travel from their headquarters in Fayettville, N.C. with a fully-restored WWII-vintage armored half-track vehicle; other vintage military vehicles are also expected to be on display.</div> <div> Several local businesses are supporting Military Appreciation Weekend with donations of food and prizes that will be given away to members of the military all weekend long;  Military ID or other proof of service will be required, according to Resnick.</div> <div> Helping out are Loews Department Store; Delizia Pizzeria; Houlihans; McCormick & schmidts; Cheesecake Factory and Subway of Flemington.</div> <div> Carhartt, a family-owned fourth-generation manufacturer of work and casual clothing is the primary sponsor of what Resnick expects will become an annual event in Flemington; based in Kentucky, the manufacturer is also considering sponsoring similar events with other stores in several states.</div> <div> Further information is available by calling Flemington Department Store at (908) 782-7662. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Auctioneers sell sports memorabilia to benefit Operation Shoebox New Jersey</B></div> <div>  </div> <div>      BRIDGEWATER – Alfred Finocchiaro of Alfred’s Auctions in Hightstown is the winner of the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers 2010 Bid Calling Contest held in conjunction with an auction of sports memorabilia at TD Bank Ballpark on Sunday, Aug. 15 to benefit Operation Shoebox New Jersey.</div> <div> Runner up was Zachary Shelly of Auctioneer List Services in Eatontown.</div> <div> The sale – held during a rain delay on the concourse of the ballpark - raised $1,562.50 for Operation Shoebox New Jersey. The money raised will be used to ship personal care packages to U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.</div> <div> Auction highlights included a Patriots team-signed bat, $140; a Jeff Nettles signed bat, $80; a Josh Pressley signed bat, $80; two Patriots team-signed baseballs for $120 each; a Sparky Lyle signed baseball for $65 and the “Somerset Patriots Experience” package, $450, which included a luxury suite and an opportunity to meet Lyle, the Patriots’ manager, on the field prior to a ballgame.</div> <div>      Finocchiaro is the owner of Alfred’s Auctions, based in Hightstown, and has been gaveling auctions since 1980. He was first exposed to the business by his father, who bought and sold wholesale produce.</div> <div> “My earliest memories are of him buying and selling, from Pittsburgh to Washington and Boston,” he explained. His father also owned a farm, and was a frequent visitor to local auctions where he’d buy tractors and other farm machinery.</div> <div> “There was an auction about two miles from our house, and that was his favorite thing, every Thursday night. I was 8 when I went to my first one, and by the time I was 13 I was working there,” he recalled. “I worked there for 16 years and I don’ think I missed any more than two Thursday nights.”</div> <div> This is the second year the NJSSA annual statewide bid-calling contest benefited Operation Shoebox New Jersey.</div> <div>      Central New Jersey auctioneer Joe Bodnar of Bodnar’s Auctions, winner of last year’s competition and president of the NJSSA presided over the competition.</div> <div>   Each auctioneer was judged on their personality, the clarity of their call, and how well they “worked” the crowd in an effort to get the highest price possible, according to Bodnar.</div> <div>  “We congratulate Alfred and all the auctioneers who competed,” said Rod Hirsch, founder and executive director of Operation Shoebox New Jersey. “We are very grateful for the support of the NJSSA and are proud of our partnership which has resulted in more than $3,600 in donations the past two years.”</div> <div> Since it was founded in February, 2005, Operation Shoebox New Jersey has shipped over 35,000 personal care packages to U.S. troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Mideast locations.</div> <div> Operation Shoebox New Jersey is a registered 501c3 non-profit corporation. </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> “League of Their Own” baseball celebrity teams up</div> <div> with noted sports artist to support OPSHBX NJ</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="a63204c0.jpg" border=0 width="288" height="332" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="4">An 85-year-old California woman that made history as a professional  baseball player and whose life was portrayed by Geena Davis in the movie “League of Their Own” will be guest of honor at an art gallery show in Frenchtown hosted by Flemington resident and noted sports artist James Fiorentino.</div> <div>      Fiorentino will show dozens of original sports portraits as well as limited edition Giclees, including reproductions of the book cover he created for “Dirt in the Skirt,” a first-person history of the league written by Pepper Davis. The gallery show opens June 2 and will run through June 16. </div> <div> Inducted into The Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, Davis will be at the Open Space Gallery, 36 Bridge St., on Saturday, June 12 from noon-3 p.m. to autograph copies of her book and reproductions of Fiorentino’s book cover. From 6-9:30 p.m. that evening, Fiorentino will host an invitation-only reception for Davis at the gallery, with celebrities, former Major Leaguers and sports personalities expected to attend.</div> <div> A smorgasbord of sports legends and heroes, from Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams to modern-day ballplayers like Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera will be displayed at the gallery and available for purchase, as well as paintings and prints of football, basketball, hockey and golf greats including Bart Starr, Eli Manning and Michael Jordan.</div> <div> “It’s a huge honor for me to have Pepper come out here from California for my opening,” Fiorentino said. “She’s a living legend and has an unbelievable story, one that everyone should know about. It’s going to be a thrill to have her here and meet my friends, family and clients at this opening,” he added. “Everyone will get a g big kick out of meeting her.”</div> <div>   Proud to be “one of them women libbers” generations before gender equality elbowed its way into America’s conscience, Pepper was member of the fledgling All American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1944-1953, barnstorming across America’s heartland in rattletrap buses to fill the void left as many of America’s baseball heroes put down their bats and gloves and swapped their pinstripes and road greys for M-1 rifles and olive drab uniforms.</div> <div> Bouncing from town-to-town left little time for laundry or romance, she recalls. The AAGPBL gave new meaning to “wash and dry.” Wet uniforms, bloomers and undergarments were hung out the windows of the bus to dry as they drove to their next game and as for romance – “well, let’s just say I steamed up a few car windows in my day,” Pepper said. </div> <div> Pepper was a scrappy shortstop, played third base and eventually was converted to catcher out of necessity. She played for the Fort Wayne Daisies, the Racine Belles and Grand Rapids Chicks, a total of 926 games in her career, with 713 hits in 3,164 at-bats.</div> <div> She led the league with the fewest strikeouts in 1945, whiffing just 6 times in 392 times at bat. The following year, she led the league in Runs Batted In with 70 and led all catchers in fielding percentage in 1950. She was the catcher on several pennant winning teams, Racine in 1946, Grand Rapids in 1948 and Fort Wayne in 1952 and ’53.</div> <div> “I came into the league as a shortstop and I was a doggone good shortstop but one game the catcher went down and in our league you didn’t get anywhere without a good catcher,” she recalls. “We didn’t have a second string, we only had 15 players and we played every day and night and doubleheaders and traveled at the same time.</div> <div> “So I stepped in so we could get somewhere,” she continued, “and eventually, I loved being the catcher, but I l still loved roaming around as a shortstop, too.”</div> <div> “Dirt in the Skirt” recounts her career as a vagabond ballplayer in a league that was first perceived as a dalliance, a novelty.  Crowds came more out of curiosity, she recalls but eventually grew to embrace the hard nosed play and competitiveness of the players wearing skirts and knee highs.   </div> <div>      Directed by Penny Marshall, The All-star cast of the 1993 movie also featured Tom Hanks, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Jon Lovett and others.</div> <div>      Davis, who spent months on the set of the movie as technical advisor, became good friends with the cast and the director.</div> <div>      In the foreward to “Dirt in the Skirt,” Hanks writes:</div> <div>      “Pepper knows baseball. She also loves baseball. What makes her so special and unique though is that she played baseball. Professional, heat throwing, swing for the fences drag bunt, double steal, line drive to the left field baseball . . . The kind of baseball that separates those that “do” from those that only “talk,” For this reason, Pepper Davis and all the players of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League have stories as rich as any in the game. And Pepper knows how to tell them.”</div> <div>      Long retired, Davis is still in demand at sports memorabilia shows and ballparks across the country, and crosses paths with other sports heroes and celebrities frequently. She first met Fiorentino at the National Baseball show in Cleveland ten years ago where he was exhibiting his artwork. They became instant friends. When it came time to write her autobiography she went right to Fiorentino to ask whether he would create the cover for the book.</div> <div>      “I was honored,” Fiorentino said.</div> <div>      And Pepper was flattered.</div> <div> She’s a big fan of the artist, on several different levels. Both share a passion for the national pastime – and both played shortstop. Fiorentino was a standout athlete at Middlesex High School earning All-State honors and played shortstop at the Division I level for Drew University on a scholarship. </div> <div>      “I’m real happy with the cover and it is so realistic,” Pepper said.  “Anybody that looks at it knows ‘that gal can hit,’ ’’ she added, “including a guy like Hank Aaron.”</div> <div> Aaron, who hit 755 career home runs, was given a copy of the book, took one look at the cover and said, “Man, that’s a great swing,” Davis said. “That’s coming from a pretty good source.”</div> <div> To a baseball purist, it’s the accuracy of the swing as captured by Fiorentino that impresses Davis most.</div> <div> “That’s the reason I like it so much,” she explained. “If you look at it, it’s a classic swing, it’s not how you’d picture how a girl swings a bat; my wrists are turning over, my eyes are riveted on the ball, I’m stepping forward into it, my weight is shifting into it and my head is looking right at the ball . It’s the Pete Rose definition of how to hit – see the ball, hit the ball,” she said.</div> <div> Now working from his home studio in Raritan Township, Fiorentino has been piling up the accolades since he was in third grade. Now 33, he has been painting professionally for over 20 years; when he was 15, he was selected by the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. to create the official induction portrait of Reggie Jackson. </div> <div> Dozens of Fiorentino’s original works of art are in the permanent collections of several museums, including the Baseball Hall of Fame; the United States Sports Academy Museum in Alabama; the National Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, Mass., The National Museum of Sport in Indiana, the Roberto Clemente Museum, Puerto Rico and The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair, N.J. Several professional athletes are also clients and own their original portraits painted by Fiorentino.</div> <div> In 1994 he became the youngest artist to win Beckett Magazine’s annual sports art competition for the likeness of Hall Of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton. When Beckett opened up the competition worldwide the following year, Fiorentino triumphed again with a stunning collage of Muhammad Ali. When Ali saw Fiorentino’s latest work of himself, the greatest said, "James, you are the greatest."</div> <div> Fiorentino’s artwork has been featured in numerous national publications and published as cover art for official commemorative programs for the 1995 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, Don Mattingly Day in 1997 at Yankee Stadium, the 1996 Red Cross Calendar, and the 1995 and 2001-2003 covers of the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame Induction program.</div> <div> He has also created hundreds of images of baseball players for several collector card sets.  </div> <div> Fiorentino was also the official artist for Orioles’ shortstop Cal Ripken Jr.'s record-setting Consecutive Game Streak which broke Lou Gehrig’s long-standing mark of 2,130 games, ending in 1998 at 2,632 games.</div> <div>      <I>Operation Shoebox New Jersey Presents: The Sports Art of James Fiorentino opens June 2 at The Open Space Gallery, 36 Bridge St., Frenchtown and runs through June 13. For every painting and print sold, the artist will donate a percentage to Operation Shoebox New Jersey, a 501c3 non-profit corporation that ships personal care packages to US troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The gallery will be open weekdays and weekends. Private appointments can also be scheduled.</I></div> <div>  Further information is available by calling Visionary Art at (908) 782-8509 or Operation Shoebox New Jersey at (908) 698-0333 or visit the websites at www.jamesfiorentino.com or www.opshoeboxnj.org.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Take Me Out to the Ballgame!</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1f027dd0.jpg" border=0 width="295" height="221" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="11" VSPACE="0">The Somerset Patriots open the 2010 season April 30 at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater and Operation Shoebox New Jersey volunteers will again be on hand to man the concession stands throughout the season. </div> <div> We need volunteers 16 years and older to work behind the concession stand preparing and serving food to the fans before and during the games.  Operation Shoebox New Jersey earns money based on the sales volume. </div> <div> This is a great team-building opportunity for companies small and large, civic groups, religious and fraternal organizations and families and friends looking to support Operation Shoebox New Jersey and the US troops overseas.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 2010 TD Bank Ballpark Dates:</div> <div>  </div> <div> Saturday, April 10, 10:00 a.m. Third Base - Minimum of 21 volunteers</div> <div> Saturday, May 1, 5:00 p.m. Third Base - Minimum 21 volunteers</div> <div> Wednesday, May 19, 9:00 a.m. (DAY GAME) - First Base - Minimum 26 volunteers</div> <div> Currently this date will be manned by a group from Johnson & Johnson</div> <div> Wednesday, May 19, 9:00 a.m. (DAY GAME) - Third Base - Minimum of 21 volunteers</div> <div> Currently this date will be manned by a group from Bristol Meyer Squibb.</div> <div> Thursday, May 20, 5:00 p.m. - Portables - Minimum 12 volunteers</div> <div> Tuesday, June 1, 5:00 p.m. - First Base - Minimum 26 volunteers</div> <div> Tuesday, June 15, 5:00 p.m. - Portables - Minimum 12 volunteers</div> <div> * Friday, June 18, 5:00 p.m. - Portables - Minimum 12 volunteers</div> <div> Tuesday, June 29, 5:00 p.m. - Portables - Minimum 12 volunteers</div> <div> *Saturday, July 3, 5:00 p.m.  - Third Base - Minimum 21 volunteers</div> <div> Saturday, July 17, 5:00 p.m. First Base - Minimum 26 volunteers</div> <div> Tuesday, July 20, 9:00 a.m. (DAY GAME) Portables - Minimum 12 volunteers</div> <div> *Friday, July 30, 5:00 p.m. Third Base - Minimum 21 volunteers</div> <div> *Friday, August 13, 5:00 p.m. Portables - Minimum 12 volunteers</div> <div> *Thursday, August 19, 5:00 p.m. - Portables - Minimum 12 volunteers</div> <div> *Saturday, August 28, 5:00 p.m. - First Base - Minimum 26 volunteers</div> <div> *Saturday, September 18, 5:00 p.m. - Third Base - Minimum 21 volunteers</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Times shown are 2 hours BEFORE the actual game times and the required arrival time.</div> <div> *= Firework nights</div> <div> Call (908) 698.0333 for further information</div> <div> www: opshoeboxnj.org</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="_join_us_january_21_for_a_fund_raiser"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><IMG SRC="71f96310.png" border=0 width="406" height="49" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="7216a500.gif" border=0 width="106" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="7236a4c0.png" border=0 width="106" height="76" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="0"> <A NAME="join_us_sept__25th_for_a_fund_raiser_at_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Join us April 22 for a fund raiser at New Jersey's friendliest Irish pub. Owner Pat Mannion will donate 10% from each lunch and dinner bill - including drinks - to support <B>Operation Shoebox New Jersey. </B>Click on the LINK to print the flyer, which you must present to your server to qualify for this offer.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <a href="HTMLobj-2642/OPSHBXNJmannionsflyer.pdf"><img align="bottom" border="0" width="119" height="104" src="HTMLobj-2642/pog.jpg"></a>  Click on the Pot of Gold for Flyer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>OPSHBX NJ hosts 5th annual Christmas packing & Santa’s Workshop </B></div> <div> <B>Nov. 21 at Manville VFW Post </B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="a1ffbbc0.jpg" border=0 width="251" height="188" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">MANVILLE - Volunteers are invited to join Operation Shoebox New Jersey staff to pack gift boxes and send Christmas greetings to U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan at its fifth annual Christmas packing and Santa’s Workshop Saturday, Nov. 21. </div> <div> The packing and workshop will be at the Walter Kavanaugh VFW Post #2290, 600 Washington Ave., Manville, with registration at 11 a.m., followed by opening ceremonies. Packing begins at 11:30 a.m. A light lunch will be provided. </div> <div> Soldiers and Marines who were recipients of OPSHBX NJ gift packages are expected to attend and extend their thanks to the volunteers. </div> <div> OPSHBX NJ will provide crafts material for volunteers to make ornaments that will be packed inside each gift box. </div> <div> Volunteer packers are encouraged to donate personal care items for shipment, including snacks and toiletries. Check the shopping list on our website and bring along a bag of needed items. </div> <div> The packages sent overseas will include cans of tuna, cans of fruit, trail mix, beef jerky, gum, candy, granola bars, powdered drink mixes, coffee, tea, oatmeal, hot chocolate, toothpaste, tooth brushes, ear swabs, moist wipes, sun block, eye drops, soap, shampoo, socks, stationary, envelopes, pens, batteries and other items. </div> <div> Volunteers will also have the opportunity to sit down and write a short letter or Christmas card to the troops; all cards and letters will be inserted into the boxes. We'll also add stuffed animals and other gift items for the troops to hand out to young Iraqi and Afghan children. </div> <div> There are two shifts available for volunteers to <A HREF="http://opshoeboxnj.org/ufm/volunteer.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://opshoeboxnj.org/ufm/volunteer.php">sign up</A> on the website: 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and 1-3 p.m. </div> <div> Songwriter and musician Alan Grant & Primitive Soul will perform throughout the day on stage; the United We Stand foundation and The American Hero foundation will also be on hand to promote their organizations, both of which are affiliated with Operation Shoebox New Jersey. </div> <div> Financial support is also needed to help pay the costs of shipping the packages. All donations are tax deductible. Volunteers are asked to sign up in advance on the OPSHBX NJ website. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="a1db9040.jpg" border=0 width="441" height="260" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="7" VSPACE="7">Bridgewater, NJ- The Five-Time Atlantic League Champion Somerset Patriots hosted an Operation Shoebox New Jersey Packing Event at TD Bank Ballpark on Saturday, October 10th.</div> <div> Volunteers of all ages helped pack 612 boxes to ship to U.S troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.</div> <div> The event began at 11:30 am with a brief orientation by Executive Director Rod Hirsch. Volunteers then filled care packages with different toiletries, necessities, and food items from bins spread along the main concourse.</div> <div> All volunteers were asked to write cards and letters to the troops that were included in each package. Volunteers also signed a large banner expressing their thanks to the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors that was also being sent overseas.</div> <div> The Patriots have hosted several packings at the ballpark since 2005, when Operation Shoebox New Jersey first began to send personal care packages overseas. The volunteer organization has sent more than 28,000 packages to U.S. troops.</div> <div> Operation Shoebox New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation registered in the state of New Jersey; all donations are tax deductible. The office is located in Veterans Industrial Park, Route 206, Hillsborough.</div> <div> Further information is available on the website at www.opshoeboxnj.org or by calling OPSHBX NJ headquarters at (908) 698-0333. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers raises $2,408 to support U.S. troops overseas</div> <div> By ROD HIRSCH</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >  </FONT>   <IMG SRC="a112fdd0.jpg" border=0 width="303" height="221" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="4">BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - The last of the Somerset Patriots players had left the field just moments before, and while the grounds crew raked and tamped the infield and pitcher’s mound at TD Bank Ballpark, several hundred fans remained behind to watch and participate in the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers annual Bid Calling Contest which featured nearly two dozen lots of sports memorabilia and other items, including cartoon cels, a tour of The White House and a bushel basket of fresh New Jersey produce.</div> <div> One by one, they climbed atop the first base dugout at TD Bank Ballpark, microphone in hand and worked the crowd, doing their best to impress the judges and raise money for Operation Shoebox New Jersey, a statewide volunteer organization that ships personal care packages to U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.</div> <div>      Auctioneers each have their own style, a rapid-fire sing song cadence of clipped words strung together with numbers that go higher and higher; though many in the audience couldn’t decipher the words, they felt the excitement and caught the fever. </div> <div> Through the melodic garble of words and numbers, the message was simple – if you want what I’m holding in my hand, you’re going to have to spend money, more money than anyone else in the crowd. </div> <div>      The message was brought home bigger than life, as the auction was shown on the 50-foot ballpark screen with the camera trained on each auctioneer as they went through their routines.</div> <div>      Going, going, gone . . . </div> <div>      The auction netted a total of $2,150, with another $258 raised by Col Lee Fox, NJSSA president and his staff on the concourse prior to the auction. With a donation of $10 or more, Fox offered buyers a selection of jewelry he had purchased himself at an auction of seized and confiscated merchandise sold by the state of New Jersey. Col. Lee M. Fox Auctions is located in Mullica Hill.</div> <div>      Fox was joined by his wife and daughter, with an assist from Air Force Sgt. Dave Lawson.</div> <div> Judges picked Joseph Bodnar of Bodnar’s Auctions, based in New Brunswick, as first place winner in the New Jersey Auctioneer of the Year contest; he was awarded a three-foot trophy topped off by a microphone.</div> <div> “I was very proud of our members and how they stepped up to the plate to raise money for Operation Shoebox New Jersey,” Fox said.  </div> <div> Just two weeks following the auction, Lawson married the auctioneer’s daughter and shipped out to Iraq for his third tour of duty in the Mideast.</div> <div>      Items sold included an autographed limited edition GiClee of Patriots’ manager Sparky Lyle in his Yankee pinstripes painted by noted sports artist James Fiorentino for $190. Signed by Lyle and the artist, the original painting of Lyle, winner of the Cy Young award in 1977, was donated by Fiorentino to OPSHBX NJ to be used for fund raising.  A second limited edition print signed by Fiorentino and Lyle, depicting Opening Day 1999 at the Patriots ballpark, sold for $60.</div> <div> A framed photo plaque signed by Mickey Mantle with a letter of authenticity sold for $160. Other Yankees items included a Roy White autographed baseball for $70 and a Horace Clarke autographed baseball for $25. A framed, autographed photo of Don Mattingly with a letter of authenticity sold for $150.</div> <div>      Several Patriots items were also sold, including a team-signed baseball from the inaugural 1999 season, $60, a 2009 team-signed bat, $170, and a 2009 team-signed baseball, $200. A luxury suite for one night in the 2010 season sold for $395. A round of golf for a foursome at Forsgate Country Club sold for $110, and the basket of produce sold for $60.</div> <div>      The Washington D.C. package, which included The White House tour as well as a tour of the U.S. Capitol building, sold for $50.  </div> <div> “You never know how people are going to participate in the bidding,” Bodnar said, “but I think it went extremely well, and as for winning the competition, I’m ecstatic. It’s a real honor to have won, now I’ve got this nice three-foot trophy on my desk; I’m going to bring it to the next auction and put it on the podium for everyone to see.”</div> <div> In addition to Fox and Bodnar, other New Jersey auctioneers competing in the statewide contest included Alfred Finocchiaro of Alfred’s Auctions, Hightstown; Stephen J. Miranti of Auction Liquidation Services, Eatontown and Harrie Copeland, Copeland Auction Company, Sergeantsville.</div> <div>      Fox and Bodnar agreed that the NJSSA accomplished its goal of bringing people out to the ballpark to experience the sights and sounds of a live auction.</div> <div>      “We all got out names out there and the crowd could see us on the video screen and hear the sounds of the auction throughout the ballpark, they could appreciate the performance that goes along with auctioneering,” Bodnar said.</div> <div>      “That’s something you don’t get on EBay,” he added.</div> <div>      For further information contact Fox at (609) 970-5163 or Bodnar at (866) 349-7378.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Operation Shoebox New Jersey hosts</div> <div> Triple Header at TD Bank Ballpark</div> <bR> <div>      BRIDGEWATER - Operation Shoebox New Jersey is gearing up for a triple header weekend Aug. 14 &16 at TD Bank Ballpark, beginning with a dramatic tribute to the American flag,  the unveiling of a portrait of Patriots’ manager Sparky Lyle and a competitive auction of sports memorabilia featuring New Jersey’s top auctioneers.</div> <bR> <div>  OPSHBX NJ will host the patriotic "Salute to the Flag" celebration at TD Bank Ballpark on Friday night, Aug. 14; game time is 7:05 p.m., gates open at 6 p.m.</div> <bR> <div> Everyone who attends that game will be presented with an American flag as they enter the ballpark; the first 2,000 fans through the turnstiles will also receive a red, white and blue cinch sack emblazoned with the OPSHBX NJ and Somerset Patriots’ logos.</div> <bR> <div> News organizations and camera crews from throughout the metropolitan area have been invited to the ballpark to help record what is expected to  be an iconic photograph, as the entire crowd will be invited to stand up in between innings and proudly wave their flags creating a swirling sea of red, white and blue extending throughout the ballpark.</div> <bR> <div> “Everyone is urged to bring their camera and record this gesture of unity and patriotism by the Central New Jersey community and circulate their photos on the Internet,” explained Rod Hirsch, founder and executive director of OPSHBX NJ.  “We need you, your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to all join in and help show America and our troops overseas that we are all proud to be Americans and stand behind the brave men and women in uniform serving their country.”</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="9e1f5780.jpg" border=0 width="501" height="376" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">During pre-game ceremonies, nationally-renowned sports artist and Flemington resident James Fiorentino will unveil a portrait of Patriots’ manager and former New York Yankees pitcher Sparky Lyle. Honored as Atlantic League Manager of the Year three times during his tenure as manager of the Patriots. Lyle had an 18-year career in the Major Leagues, winning the Cy Young Award with the New York Yankees in 1977.</div> <div> Fiorentino, whose works are in the private collections of dozens of professional athletes and who has created original artwork for Topps, Upper Deck and Fleer trading cards, is donating the Lyle portrait to OPSHBX NJ. A series of limited-edition giclees numbered 1-28 and signed by Fiorentino and Lyle will be sold to raise funds for OPSHBX NJ, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that ships personal care packages to U.S. troops overseas.</div> <div> The first opportunity to own one of those limited edition prints will be on Sunday, Aug. 16 during the statewide bid calling contest hosted by the New Jersey State Society of Auctioneers at the ballpark held at the conclusion of the 5:05 p.m. game against the Newark Bears.</div> <div> Standing atop the Patriots’ first base dugout, the auctioneers will be selling a variety of Major League sports memorabilia, including autographed baseballs and an autographed Mickey Mantle plaque, lithographs, vintage baseball cards and other items. The Somerset Patriots will donate several items from the Atlantic League, including VIP packages for fans and autographed items. A private tour of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. is also included in the auction.</div> <bR> <div>      Items to be sold at the auction will be displayed on the concourse during the game so that potential bidders can have a close look at the merchandise. Absentee bids will be accepted during the game from those who must leave the ballpark prior to the auction.</div> <div> Several auctioneers will be featured, according to Central New Jersey auctioneer Joe Bodnar of Bodnar’s Auctions, which holds monthly sales the second Thursday of each month at the Ukrainian Cultural Center, 135 Davidson Ave., Somerset</div> <div>      All monies raised during the auction of the sports memorabilia will be donated to Operation Shoebox New Jersey, according to Bodnar.</div> <div> “We’re honored, privileged and excited to be a part of this unique event,” Hirsch said. “We’ve assembled some high quality sports memorabilia in hopes that fans will stay after the game for the opportunity to bid - and bid often - on collectibles and opportunities that don’t come along that often.”</div> <div> Each auctioneer entered in the competition will sell one or two items, according to Bodnar, with each item being sold to the highest bidder.  Each auctioneer will be judged on their personality, the clarity of their call, and how well they “work” the crowd in an effort to get the highest price possible, according to Bodnar.</div> <div>      Judges will include a member of the Patriots’ staff, a randomly selected fan and a member of the NJSSA not competing in the contest.</div> <div> OPSHBX NJ volunteers will also be working at the ballpark’s first base concession stand on Saturday might, Aug. 15 to help raise funds for the organization.</div> <div> Reserved $9 tickets for the Aug. 14 “Salute to the Flag” tribute in sections 201-205 are available by contacting OPSHBX NJ at (08) 698-0333 or opshbxnj@yahoo.com; tickets for the Aug. 16 game may be purchased from members of the NJSSA or by calling Bodnar at (866) 349-7378.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="9de650c0.jpg" border=0 width="357" height="268" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A group of two dozen ImClone employees from the companys' Branchburg location volunteered to work at Operation Shoebox New Jersey headquarters on May 20, helping to build and install shelving units as well as sorting and packing supplies and helping to organize storage rooms.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="9766c590.jpg" border=0 width="620" height="89" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>A&P, Pathmark supermarkets launch campaign in 444 stores to raise funds</B></div> <div> <B> for Operation Shoebox New Jersey</B></div> <bR> <div> (MONTVALE April 24) – A&P and Pathmark supermarkets in New Jersey, along with food stores in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and Maryland will sponsor a fund-raising campaign in 444 stores over Memorial Day Weekend to support Operation Shoebox New Jersey.</div> <div> The “Help Us Help Them” in-store campaign begins Friday, May 22 and will run through Memorial Day, May 25. Shoppers will be asked to donate $1 as they check out at the cashier, and will be given a “Support Our Troops” postcard to sign.</div> <div> The cards will be displayed in each of the stores, and at the conclusion of the campaign, will be collected by Operation Shoebox New Jersey volunteers and sent overseas to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan inside personal care packages.</div> <div> The money donated by shoppers at each of the 444 stores will help ensure the uninterrupted flow of care packages overseas.</div> <div> The “Help Us Help Them” campaign will be advertised in supermarket circulars in the weeks leading up to the campaign.</div> <div> The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company is one of the oldest supermarket chains in the United States. In addition to A&P and Pathmark food stores, several other chains, subsidiaries of A&P, are involved in the “Help Us Help Them” campaign – Waldbaum’s, Superfresh, A&P Super Stores and Food Mart.</div> <div> Copies of each week’s sales circular can be accessed on the A&P website - apsupermarket.com.</div> <div> Operation Shoebox New Jersey is a 501c3 non-profit corporation. The organization has shipped over 25,000 personal care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Mideast locations.<B> </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="96ece560.png" border=0 width="206" height="86" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="9" VSPACE="9"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="operation_shoebox_new_jersey_hosts"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Operation Shoebox New Jersey hosts benefit concert </B></div> <div> <B>at the Battleship New Jersey May 30</B></div> <bR> <div> CAMDEN – Thousands are expected to gather at the Battleship New Jersey museum complex on the Delaware River Saturday, May 30 for a benefit concert to raise funds for Operation Shoebox New Jersey, the United We Stand foundation and the world’s most decorated battleship.</div> <div> Singer/songwriter and guitarist Alan Grant, front man for Primitive Soul and co-founder of the United We Stand Foundation hopes his inspirational and patriotic song “United We Stand” will be the springboard to funding free concerts at military bases around the country.</div> <div> “There isn’t a single time that we’ve performed “United We Stand” that someone from the military hasn’t come up to me afterwards and said they were moved,” says Grant. “It made me want to share it with as many people as possible who could benefit from the message. And then we realized that the message does not have to be limited to just the troops.”</div> <div> The concert – which will feature live music from some of New Jersey’s best loved bands and musicians from noon until 5 pm – is designed as a family day to promote the goal of unity and patriotism.</div> <div>      Tickets at the gate are $20 and $14 for veterans and children under 12. Gates open at 9 a.m. The admission price includes a self-guided tour of the USS New Jersey, the most decorated battleship in history, a recipient of 19 Battle Stars from World War II to Operation Desert Storm.</div> <div> All proceeds will be shared by United We Stand, Operation Shoebox New Jersey and the Battleship New Jersey. All are non-profit organizations.</div> <div> “We are excited and proud to partner with Operation Shoebox New Jersey,</div> <div> (www.opshoeboxnj.org) which has an incredible record for getting thousands of</div> <div> packages sent to our troops throughout the year,” said Denise Lang, co-founder of United We Stand.  “Now we are turning to the public to show their support for our troops and their families.”</div> <div> The United We Stand Foundation was established to produce and distribute large quantities of musical CDs to members of the U.S. military as possible while bringing the gift of music to their families on the homefront. Operation Shoebox New Jersey has already shipped more than 1,000 “United We Stand” CDs overseas.</div> <div>  “It doesn’t matter whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent or Undecided,” the songwriter said. “I wrote United We Stand to be a song of brotherhood, love and unity – and it is this message we need to get out. This isn’t about politics – it’s about grass roots people to people message of American unity and we want to give everyone who wants to, an opportunity to participate.</div> <div> “And,” he continued, ”what more appropriate place to hold the first concert than on the deck of the country’s most decorated battleship?</div> <div> Founder of the popular touring band Primitive Soul (www.primitivesoul.com), and singer with the nationally recognized Holiday Express (www.holidayexpress.org), he is both an accomplished guitarist and songwriter who has shared the stage with the likes of Rob Thomas, Jon Bon Jovi, Daryl Hall, Cyndi Lauper, Poco, Clarence Clemons and other musicians.</div> <div> As musical director for the annual Stowe Weekend of Hope for Cancer</div> <div> Survivors Grant has also donated time and free concerts to Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans, 9/11 Families in New Jersey, NYC’s Rally for The Cure (spinal cord research), Lyme disease, and the Matheny Hospital & Educational Center.</div> <div>      Directions to the USS New Jersey, which is berthed along the Delaware River across from Philadelphia and near the Ben Franklin Bridge, are available on the website, www.battleshipnewjersey.org</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Warren County Girl Scouts Invite Volunteers</B></div> <div> <B>to May 16 packing at Alpha Volunteer Fire Company</B></div> <bR> <div> ALPHA – More than 30 Girl Scout troops from Warren County working in conjunction with Operation Shoebox New Jersey will host a packing event at the Alpha Volunteer Fire Company building May 16.</div> <div> Volunteers are needed to bag the donated items that will be addressed and packed in individual gift boxes for shipment to U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Mideast locations.</div> <div> Volunteers are invited to work anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Refreshments will be provided to all volunteers. The firehouse is located at the intersection of Lee and West Central avenues.</div> <div> Troops from the Star Valley service unit, Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Council continue to gather donations from residents of Alpha, Greenwich, Stewartsville, Pohatcong and Phillipsburg. The items will be sorted into bins prior to the packing, everything from lip balm, eye drops and sun block to granola bars, cans of tuna, bags of candy and sticks of gum.</div> <div> A writing station will be set up at the firehouse for the Girl Scouts and volunteers to write cards and letters of thanks that will be sent to the troops overseas.</div> <div> The goal is to pack 500 care packages, according to Kathleen McHenry, event organizer.</div> <div> Her daughter, Morrissey, a member of Troop 830, is one of more than 200 girls active in the Star Valley unit, all of whom have been working on the project since March. They have reached out to students at four schools – Alpha Public School, Greenwich Elementary, Pohatcong Elementary and Sts. Philip and James Catholic School as well as businesses and civic organizations in Warren County for donations.  </div> <div> Volunteers are also asked to bring donated supplies to the packing. Items needed most are lip balm, foot powder, toothbrushes, pop-top cans of tuna and fruit and sticks of beef jerky.</div> <div> Financial support is also needed to help pay postage.</div> <div> The Girl Scouts will be at the Stop & Shop Supermarket on Route 22 in Pohatcong from 9 a.m.-5p.m. on April 25, May 2 and May 9 where they will distribute shopping lists outside the store and collect donations.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Volunteers are asked to pre-register on the Operation Shoebox New Jersey website, or by calling (908) 213-1092.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="7e48c5e0.jpg" border=0 width="140" height="94" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">  OPSHBX NJ volunteers pitch in to help Patriots</B></div> <div> <B> launch pre-season festivities at Fan Fest April 4th </B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <B>Bridgewater, NJ </B>– Operation Shoebox New Jersey volunteers will help the Four-Time Atlantic League Champion Somerset Patriots kick off their 2009 pre-season festivities at the annual Fan Fest Saturday, April 4 at TD Ballpark from noon-3 p.m.</div> <div> Admission is free for all Patriots fans and once inside the ballpark, everyone will have a chance to meet and get autographs from Patriots manager Sparky Lyle and several Patriots players.</div> <div> Young fans will be able to participate in carnival games and activities, as well as be entertained by clowns, face painters, and the Patriots’ mascots Sparkee and Slider.</div> <div> Fans will also be able to enjoy an 1880’s style vintage baseball game down on the field, which will be played without any fielder’s gloves. </div> <div> For the third year in a row, OPSHBX NJ volunteers will staff the third base concession stand, serving fans hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, hot and cold beverages and other refreshments.</div> <div> Fan Fest is the first of 11 dates that OPSHBX NJ volunteers will be working at the ballpark during the 2009 season to help raise funds to pay shipping costs and maintain its supply line of personal care packages shipped overseas to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.</div> <div> Volunteers are needed to work at the concession stands on the following dates:</div> <div>    </div> <div> April 4, Saturday, Noon, 3rd Base - Fan Fest - 24 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> April 30, Thursday, 6:05 p.m., 3rd Base - Fireworks - 24 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> May 19, Tuesday, 11:05 a.m., Portables - 12-15 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> May 23, Saturday 7:05 p.m., 1st Base - 30 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> June 4, Thursday, 7:05 p.m., 3rd Base - 24 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> June 18, Thursday, 7:05 p.m., 3rd Base - 24 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> July 19, Sunday, 5:05 p.m., Portables - 12-15 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> July 28, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m., Portables, 12-15 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> Aug. 11, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m., Portables, 12-15 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> Aug. 15, Saturday, 7:05 p.m. 1st Base, 30 volunteers;</div> <div>  </div> <div> Aug. 25, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. 3rd Base, 24 volunteers</div> <bR> <div>       Those interested in signing up to volunteer on any of those dates can call (908) 698-0333 or sign up on the website.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="7ecd9a30.jpg" border=0 width="217" height="163" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="0"> <A NAME="flemington_applebees_supports_operation"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >Flemington Applebees Supports Operation Shoebox NJ</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Join us April 16 for a fund raiser at Applebees Flemington location . Applebees will donate 10% from each lunch and dinner bill - including takeout - to support <B>Operation Shoebox New Jersey. </B>Click on the LINK to print the flyer, which you must present to your server to qualify for this offer.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <a href="HTMLobj-2024/Dining_to_donate_flyer.pdf"><u>Flyer</u> </a>  Click on link for Flyer<B> </B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Operation Shoebox New Jersey Joins with Guardian Wear to Provide U.S. Troops </B></div> <div> <B>with High-Quality Polos and Shorts</B></div> <div>  <B><IMG SRC="74e42640.jpg" border=0 width="66" height="100" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="0"></B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#330000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><IMG SRC="74d4e660.jpg" border=0 width="78" height="102" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >Guardian Wear and Operation Shoebox New Jersey are providing an opportunity to show your support and say “Thanks” to  U.S. troops deployed overseas with the purchase of high-quality, lightweight American Hero polo shirts </FONT><IMG SRC="7585b770.jpg" border=0 width="91" height="119" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >and shorts. With a tax-deductible contribution of $20 or more, a card (see below) personalized with your name and city will be included in each care package shipped overseas along with the Guardian Wear American Hero garment</FONT>. Each care package also includes two large bags of personal care items with toiletries and snacks packed by volunteers. Please tell us if there is a specific member of the military to whom you want the package shipped; otherwise, the garment and care package will be sent to any of the soldiers or Marines on our shipping list. Fill in this <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><A HREF="guardian_wear.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Guardian Wear">form</A> </FONT>then print it and mail it with a check for $20 or more made out to:</div> <bR> <div> Operation Shoebox New Jersey</div> <div> P.O. Box 273</div> <div> Somerville, N.J. 08876</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.somersetpatriots.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.somersetpatriots.com"><IMG SRC="7c9a2620.jpg" border=0 width="162" height="98" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="13" VSPACE="10"></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B>Somerset Patriots offer free tickets to fans</B></FONT></div> <div> <B> with a donation to Operation Shoebox New Jersey</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> (BRIDGEWATER, March 2) - Somerset Patriots fans can score free tickets to dozens of home games during the 2009 season by making a donation to Operation Shoebox New Jersey when ticket sales kick off at TD Ballpark Saturday, March 14th.</div> <div>       Operation Shoebox New Jersey volunteers will be posted adjacent to the ticket windows that day to accept donations of food items and toiletries that are shipped in personal care packages to U.S. military personnel deployed overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. For a list of items to bring to the ballpark, please visit <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#003399" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><A HREF="http://www.opshoeboxnj.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.opshoeboxnj.org">www.opshoeboxnj.org</A></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >.</FONT></div> <div>  Any fan that brings an item to donate to Operation Shoebox New Jersey will receive a special Buy One Get One Free ticket offer on any Sunday through Thursday game during the 2009 season. Operation Shoebox New Jersey volunteers will be collecting items from 9 a.m.-noon.</div> <div> Ticket windows open at 9 a.m. and will stay open through 4 p.m. Fans can also call the Patriots Ticket Office at (908) 252-0700, or purchase tickets on line at <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#003399" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><A HREF="http://www.somersetpatriots.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.somersetpatriots.com">www.somersetpatriots.com</A></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >. </FONT></div> <div> The Somerset Patriots open the 2009 season at home on Thursday, April 23rd with a 7:05 pm game against the Camden Riversharks. The game will feature a Championship Celebration with a ring ceremony, flag raising, and a Post Game Fireworks show. </div> <div>       Ticket prices for the 2009 season are $12.50 for Premium Field Box Seats, $10 for Field Box Seats, and $9 for Upper Box Seats. Normal game times for the 2009 season are 7:05 pm Monday through Saturday and 1:35 pm or 5:05 pm on Sundays. </div> <div>       The Patriots will host 70 home games during the 140 game Atlantic League schedule running from Thursday, April 23rd through Sunday, Sept. 20th.</div> <div>       The Patriots will host 33 home games on weekends with 15 Fireworks Nights on the schedule in 2009. The Patriots will host five 11:05 am weekday games this season on Wednesday, April 29th, Tuesday, May 19th, Tuesday, July 21st, Thursday, July 30th, and Wednesday, Aug. 12th.</div> <div>       The Patriots will host holiday games on Mother's Day on Sunday, May 10th at 1:35 pm, when the team will have their Third Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day; Father's Day on Sunday, June 21st at 1:35 pm; Independence Day on Friday, July 4th @ 5:05 pm; and Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7th at 6:05 pm.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Scrooge helps gather supplies for Operation Shoebox New Jersey in Branchburg </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>BRANCHBURG</B> - Come celebrate the holiday season by bringing your family to see Charles Dickens' <I>A Christmas Carol</I> presented by the award-winning township Recreation Department Creative Theater Program.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > </FONT></div> <div> Performances will take place on Friday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. , both at Whiton Elementary School.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > </FONT></div> <div> No admission will be charged, but the audience is requested to please bring food and toiletry items that will be sent overseas to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by Operation Shoebox New Jersey. Travel size items such as shampoo/conditioner, soap, sunscreen, razors, deodorant, powder, lip balm. feminine hygiene products, tooth brushes, toothpaste, drink mixes, snacks, candy, gum, small boxes of dry cereal and snacks and writing materials will be accepted.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > </FONT></div> <div> Operation Shoebox New Jersey, founded in February, 2005, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The organization has shipped 23,200 personal care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. </div> <div> The show features a talented Branchburg cast including Amanda Viglianti, Lauren Maroney, Greg Cortazzo, Caitlin Cimino, Erin DiIorio, Morgan Pudimott, Julia Pudimott, Max Gropper, Sydney Harvey, Nicole Sapanara, Emily McVerry, Anna McVerry, Nick Weimann, Tyler Stasienko, Lauren DeMaioribus, Nick DeMaioribus, Shanaya Panday, Josie McNeil, Trevor McNaught, Faith Munkholm, Maddie Keating, Colleen Keating, Lindsey Kazar, Halli LaFrankie, Julia LaFrankie, Michelle Weighart, Kate Cardonne, Katelyn DeDeo, Elayna Cross, Devyn Dabrowski, Tina Kolatac, Samantha German, Kelly Moran and Sophie Weinstein.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > </FONT></div> <div> Please call (908) 526-1300, extension 187 for further information.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="mannions"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><IMG SRC="71f96310.png" border=0 width="406" height="49" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="7216a500.gif" border=0 width="106" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="7236a4c0.png" border=0 width="106" height="76" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="0"> <A NAME="join_us_sept__25th_for_a_fund_raiser_at"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Join us May 28 for a fund raiser at New Jersey's friendliest Irish pub. Owner Pat Mannion will donate 10% from each lunch and dinner bill - including drinks - to support <B>Operation Shoebox New Jersey. </B>Click on the LINK to print the flyer, which you must present to your server to qualify for this offer.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  <a href="HTMLobj-2038/OPSHBXNJmannionsflyer.doc"><img align="bottom" border="0" width="31" height="40" src="HTMLobj-2038/irish-shamrock-3.jpg"></a>  Click on shamrock for Flyer</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="543804c0.jpg" border=0 width="128" height="76" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="famous_dave_s_restaurant_route_202"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Famous Dave's Restaurant, Route 202 Hillsborough , once again hosts a fund raiser </B></div> <div> <B>in support Operation ShoeboxNJ</B></div> <bR> <div>  Famous Dave's restaurant on  Route 202 in Hillsborough is once again holding a fund raiser on February 26 in Hilllsborough to support Operation Shoebox NJ</div> <div> Anyone who eats lunch or dinner or orders take out from Famous Dave's on this date and presents the flyer (which can be downloaded below) will help with expenses associated with the packing.</div> <div> Famous Dave's will donate 10 percent of your bill to Operation Shoebox New Jersey.</div> <div> Be sure to bring this flyer with you to Famous Dave's and let your host or cashier know you are there to support this fundraiser.</div> <div> That's all. It's that easy. Make sure to stop by Famous Dave's for some of the best smoked and barbeque ribs in New Jersey! Tell your friends and neighbors, too!</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> CLICK HERE FOR FLYER  <img src="HTMLobj-1896/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="48" height="28">  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><B> <a href="HTMLobj-1951/DavesH.doc"><u>Flyer</u> </a>  </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Family Readiness Group Helps Operation Shoebox New Jersey</B></div> <div> <B>send holiday gift packages toU.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan Nov. 8</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>DENVILLE</B> - Friends and families of local National Guard troops recently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan will help Operation Shoebox New Jersey pack holiday gift boxes Saturday, Nov. 8 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Gearhart Chevrolet, 281 Route 46 East.</div> <div> The event is free and open to the public.</div> <div> The showroom floor of the dealership will be cleared of cars and trucks to make room for hundreds of volunteers who are expected to pitch in and pack upwards of 500 packages that will be filled with snacks, toiletries and other personal care items donated by a broad cross-section of individuals, families, civic organizations and area businesses.</div> <div> The gift packages will be sent overseas in time for the holiday season.</div> <div> Donations are already being dropped off at the dealership and will be displayed in the bed of a brand-new 2009 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck.</div> <div> “Gearhart Chevrolet and all of its employees are thankful for the opportunity to help those who are defending us and our country,” said John Sautter, sales manager. “It is important more than ever to support our men and women especially in this time of a troubled economy,” he added. “We will always be in full support of our troops and pray for them to come home safely.”</div> <div> The Family Readiness Group of the NJ Army National Guard based at the armory in Hackettstown, along with the volunteer staff of Operation Shoebox New Jersey will coordinate and supervise the packing event. The FRG is comprised of family members of soldiers and volunteers who support the troops by supporting their families during the overseas deployment.</div> <div>      Operation Shoebox New Jersey, a grass roots volunteer organization with statewide headquarters in Hillsborough, StateN.J., was founded in February, 2005 and has since shipped more than 21,000 care packages overseas to U.S. military personnel.</div> <div> A free car wash will be given on the premises to those who make a financial donation of $10 or more, according to Debra Bond, coordinator of the event for Gearhart. Her son is one of 3,200 New Jersey National Guard troops that were deployed to Iraq this summer.</div> <div> For a donation of $20 or more, Operation Shoebox New Jersey and Guardian Wear will include an American Hero lightweight polo shirt or pair of shorts in each box with a gift card signed by the donor.</div> <div> An ATM machine is conveniently located in the dealership showroom.</div> <div> Volunteers who attend are asked to bring donated supplies to the packing to help fill the holiday gift boxes. Suggested items include toothpaste, tooth brushes, foot powder, lip balm, moist wipes, sun block, insect repellant, soap, shampoo, razors, mouthwash, dental floss, batteries (any size), writing materials, microwave popcorn, snack and cereal bars, small boxes of dry cereal, pop-top cans of tuna and fruit salad, gum, candy, beef jerky, small packages of cookies and crackers and powdered drink mixes. Recommended are travel and personal size items. </div> <div> Corporate sponsors are encouraged to participate in the event; companies large and small have already made commitments of support, including Gearhart Chevrolet,  Impact Instrumentation of West Caldwell, S&R Mechanical of Newton, Lenmore Associates, Long Island, N.Y. and Gig's Florist, Lake Hopatcong.</div> <div> Food and beverages will be provided courtesy of Gearhart.</div> <div> Rod Hirsch, founder and executive director of Operation Shoebox New Jersey said “We salute the members<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" > of the Hackettstown FRG and Gearhart Chevrolet for their eagerness to be involved in this ongoing humanitarian effort, which continues to grow throughout the state.”</FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1d9f2180.gif" border=0 width="242" height="24" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="news_archive.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Archive"><B>ARCHIVE</B></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <U>RETURN TO TOP</U></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>