Are you ready to “Pay it Forward” again in 2016?
Although the final details are still being hammered out by Robbinsville Township Business Administrator Joy Tozzi and the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce, we are extremely proud and very pleased to announce that this year’s State of the Township event in mid-April will double as a benefit for one of our truly meaningful charities, Quilts for Comfort.
Established in December 2000 by blood cancer survivor and Robbinsville’s own Susan Tonry, Quilts for Comfort is 100 percent volunteer-based and has delivered over 10,000 quilts to sick or recovering patients. The organization promotes awareness of Leukemia, the need for blood and bone marrow donors and currently supports many patients at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick.
Susan was diagnosed at 39 and was admitted for inpatient chemotherapy, where she remained for 32 days. Additional rounds of treatment kept her in-and-out of the hospital for the next five months. A wife and mother of three children, Susan decided to learn how to quilt in order to help with her recovery. After creating and donating her first 60 quilts, Susan learned her leukemia had returned and that she would need a bone marrow transplant.
Yet, she continued to quilt.
When yet another relapse nearly took her life, she became more determined than ever to create a legacy for her children to be proud of. That is when Quilts for Comfort was incorporated into a New Jersey non-profit corporation in December 2012. Just like her recovery, Sue Tonry has made it “one stitch at a time.”
Currently, Susan and her team of volunteers produce the quilts either at her home, or they drag all of their sewing equipment and supplies to the Robbinsville Branch of the Mercer County Library System. Not for much longer.
With the anticipated help of our generous sponsors and supporters, Robbinsville Township is in the process of renovating our historic Robbins House, which will be used as a meeting place for Susan and her team so that that they can continue to produce the inspiring works of art that comfort so many. The updated Robbins House also will continue serve other township programs, including the Department of Recreation and other non-profit organizations.
Last year’s sold-out “Pay it Forward” event to benefit the Shepherd family of Robbinsville raised over $40,000. Our 2015 Diamond Sponsors included Sharbell Development Corp., Matrix Development Group, Amazon, First Choice Bank, Hamilton Honda, Lifetree Church and Raajipo/BAPS.
In addition to recognizing and encouraging others to help the less fortunate, we also hope to announce some very good municipal tax and budget news. Other topics I am sure we’ll cover during this year’s State of the Township address include some exciting prospects regarding Town Center South, along with updates on the Foxmoor Shopping Center redevelopment, affordable housing and the Amazon traffic situation.
We also are happy to recognize Jeannine Cimino—Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at First Choice Bank and the Master of Ceremonies at last year’s event—as the new MidJersey Chamber of Commerce Vice-Chair.
My staff will advertise complete details of the event, including the date, venue and options to make a donation or to become a sponsor, on all township media portals as soon as they become available.
Dave Fried is the Mayor of Robbinsville.
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