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Century 21 Hard at Work to benefit Easter Seals
The CENTURY 21® group, which adopted a cabin at Easter Seals Camp Merry Heart in 2002, volunteers one day each year to complete needed maintenance and improvements in preparation for the upcoming summer camping season.
The camp, established in 1954, is located on 123 beautiful acres in Warren County, NJ and has provided a recreational setting otherwise not readily available to individuals with disabilities. Since 1967, the facility has provided camping, recreation and respite services to well over 30,000 people with disabilities or special needs.
On Friday, May 8th, this year's group of approximately 35 Century 21 employees arrived to conduct a thorough spring cleaning, make necessary repairs to the facilities and equipment, and complete landscaping and beautification projects throughout the campsite.
“This year marks the 30th anniversary of Century 21's philanthropic partnership with Easter Seals," said Bev Thorne, senior Vice president of marketing for Century 21 Real Estate LLC. "To date we have raised over $98 million on behalf of Easter Seals and we are striving to reach our goal of raising over $100 million in honor of this important milestone."
"Locally, we are so pleased to be a part of the Camp Merry Heart Spring Cleanup Day. This annual event not only enables CENTURY 21® International Headquarters’ staff based in Parsippany a chance to get involved with Easter Seals, but it also serves as a great morale builder for the team as they get to experience first-hand the types of programs and facilities that Easter Seals provides to the community," Bev added. "At CENTURY 21, we recognize that giving back is good business and I want to thank Easter Seals for allowing us play a small part in their continued success.”
 Meanwhile, in another part of the state, employees at Century 21 Gilmartin Realty in Cape May New Jersey organized a softball tournament to benefit Easter Seals, and even enlisted the participation of fellow business in the area. All totaled, the event raised approximately $1,000.00 for Easter Seals.
The group from Century 21 and the other local businesses partnered together to organize the tournament, donate gifts and baskets for auction, and conduct a 50/50 raffle on behalf of Easter Seals New Jersey.
According to Betty D'Adamo, manager of the Century 21 Gilmartin agency, the other businesses were more than eager to join efforts with Century 21 in their quest to raise money for Easter Seals!
Statewide, CENTURY 21® is partnering with Easter Seals in its "Easy Access Housing for Easier Living Program".
Attractive, accessible housing is essential for children and adults with disabilities as they go about their everyday lives.
 This may mean finding a home that is accessible or can be adapted for someone who has a physical disability and uses a wheelchair to get around. It may involve adapting a home for someone who has a hearing or vision impairment. It may be top-of-mind for a growing number of Baby Boomers, empty-nesters, retirees and older Americans -- people living longer and developing vision, hearing and some physical disabilities as they age -- who are concerned about finding homes they can grow old in as an alternative to nursing homes and retirement communities. Or it could mean building a new, accessible home for all members of your family to enjoy throughout their lives.
Easter Seals and CENTURY 21's "Easy Access Housing for Easier Living Program" will provide homeowners with helpful educational brochures, an expert panel with additional resources, and easy-to-implement tips for making an accessible home a reality.
Thank you, Century 21, for your continuous and ongoing efforts to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities every day!
For more information on the "Easy Access Housing for Easier Living Program" and to download and print valuable materials, visit the "Easy Access Housing Website".
Friendly’s Kicks Off its 28th Annual “Cones for Kids” Campaign to Benefit Easter Seals
Friendly’s is excited to launch its 28th annual "Cones for Kids"
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Rick Blakely and the Friendly's Staff |
Friendly’s is excited to launch its 28th annual "Cones for Kids" campaign to raise funds for Easter Seals Camping and Recreation Programs and Camperships. Meaningful camping and recreation provides essential experiences for people with disabilities and their families, and Friendly’s is committed to supporting and growing these programs.
Between January 5th and February 13, 2009, Friendly’s will again offer valentine cards as a thank you gift to restaurant guests who make a donation to Easter Seals. The valentine sheet will include valentine's cards for kids redeemable for 5 free kid cones and also a coupon for $5 off purchase of $25 for mom and dad.
Friendly’s remains one of Easter Seals largest sponsors having raised more than $25 million to date in support of Easter Seals services in the community through its "Cones for Kids" program and other special events. In 2008, $619,000 was raised for Easter Seals nationwide, and over $36,000 in New Jersey alone.
Visit your local Friendly's and support Easter Seals’ mission to help people with disabilities, and their families, to live, learn, work and play in their communities with equality, dignity and independence. To find a Friendly's location near you, visit www.friendlys.com.
Friendly’s and Easter Seals - Making a Difference in the Lives of Others!
Rotarians Hard at Work to Raise Funds for Easter Seals New Jersey!
 On June 17th, Easter Seals New Jersey was presented with a check for $1,000 by Nickolas Nicolay, President of the Rotary Club of Haddonfield, during a Rotary club meeting attended by 75 members. In keeping with the organization's dedication to Easter Seals and the funding and underwriting camping and recreational programs, the Haddonfield Rotary earmarked the $1,000 donation to be used to pay for a camper to attend a session at Camp Merry Heart.
Rotary International
Rotary and Easter Seals Two Friends, Two Visions that Changed Our World
Paul Harris, founder of Rotary International the world’s first service club organization - and Edgar Allen, founder of Easter Seals, came to know one another because of a shared a passion for service and volunteerism.
In 1905, Paul Harris founded the very first Rotary Club in Chicago along with several of his business associates. Its original purpose was to bring professional and business men together for friendship and fellowship, and because the club rotated its meeting locations, it became officially known as the “Rotary”. The organization focused on “community service” as one of its primary objectives and adopted the motto “Service Above Self”. In 1910, the National Association of Rotary Clubs was organized and, in 1922, the name Rotary International was adopted.
One of Harris' fellow Rotarian’s, Edgar Allen, founded a hospital for disabled children after his son’s accidental death in 1907. He continued to dedicate his life to creating services for children with disabilities and recruited other Rotary members to help create a network of programs known as the International Society for Crippled Children in 1919, that would later become Easter Seals. Harris was the organization’s first Chairman and Allen was its first President. Together, Harris and Allen co-authored the first Crippled Children’s Bill of Rights in 1930 which led to the first federal funding for disabled children’s services.
Since the 1920s, Rotary clubs have worked with local Easter Seals organizations as volunteers and event sponsors, and by offering program support through direct grants and gifts. Today, Rotarians nationwide continue Allen’s dedication to children with disabilities through funding and underwriting of programs that support camping and recreation programs for children, such as Camp Merry Heart, here in New Jersey. To date, Rotary International has contributed over $5 million dollars to Easter Seals programs nationwide.
The vision of Paul Harris has grown to include over 1.2 million Rotarian members belonging to more than 32,000 clubs and continuing to provide humanitarian service worldwide. Edgar Allen’s vision grew to include today’s network of Easter Seals affiliates throughout the United States and beyond, providing services to more than 1.3 million children and adults with disabilities and their families.
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CVS/Pharmacy ExtraCareTM Promotion to Benefit Easter Seals
Easter Seals’ friends at CVS/pharmacy continue to advance ways to support children with disabilities served by Easter Seals through its All Kids Can™ Program. The newest initiative designed to benefit Easter Seals invites select members of CVS’ customer loyalty program, ExtraCare™, through online messaging, to redeem a variety of coupons in-store with a commitment by CVS to make a $1 donation to Easter Seals for every coupon redeemed. More than 3.5 million ExtraCare™ customers will receive the offer, which features Easter Seals’ marks and messaging. Funds raised through the promotion (capped at $50,000) will be distributed to affiliates based on the store location where coupons are redeemed before August 31st.
Support Easter Seals through CVS’s In-Store Promotion in September
For every Essence of Beauty® mesh sponge sold throughout the month, 25 cents will be donated to your local Easter Seals to ensure that children of all abilities can learn, play, and succeed in life.
Since Easter Seals was selected as a national partner in the CVS All Kids Can™ Program in 2006, CVS Caremark’s support of Easter Seals has been nothing short of amazing with contributions of more than $8.1 million made by the company, its private foundation and its associates nationwide. Last year’s promotion generated over $5,500 for Easter Seals New Jersey just from sales of its 'Essence of Beauty' mesh sponge during the promotional month.
So, stop in to get your sponge and join Easter Seals in thanking CVS Caremark for all it has done over the years to improve the lives of families living with disabilities.
Learn how CVS Caremark and Easter Seals are changing lives nationwide: http://www.cvsallkidscan.com/node/763 |
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 Making A Difference Has Never Been So Easy! CVS Now Offers Easter Seals Donation Cards
Further demonstrating its long-standing commitment to Easter Seals and children with disabilities through its All Kids Can Program, CVS is now featuring an Easter Seals Donation Card for sale at all of its 6,300 stores -- the first donation card ever available in retail stores!
Featured on the gift card racks at CVS next to gift cards from department store and restaurants, the Easter Seals Donation Gift Card is available in denominations of $5 or $25 and is the perfect gift for the person who has it all - the chance to impact a life through a charitable donation.
Another feature of the donation card is the ability to honor someone special with the purchase of a donation card by placing the donation card in a holiday greeting card, or use as a stocking stuffer.
Purchasers who register their card at CharityCardMall.com will receive an acknowledgement of the tax-deductible donation; 100% of the funds are sent directly from CVS to your local Easter Seals.
It's a simple and convenient way to make a donation, and makes for a very special gift this holiday season.
In conjunction with the grand opening celebration of a brand new Toys ‘R’ Us / Babies ‘R’ Us superstore in East Brunswick, the Toys ‘R’ Us Children’s Fund awarded a $5,000 grant to Easter Seals New Jersey’s Camp Merry Heart on October 30th.
Since 1992, the children’s fund has contributed millions of dollars to various charitable organizations, including ones that assist children with special needs, such as autism. The fund has donated over $600,000 to organizations who focus on autism issues, research, and advocacy. In addition to sponsoring autism fundraising walks nationwide, Toys ‘R’ Us also conducts in-store fundraising at all of its locations during the month of April to coincide with “Autism Awareness Month”.
Colin Wiseman, Coordinator of Autism Programs at Camp, Rich Schumann, AVP of Camping & Recreation, and Allison Smith, Corporate Development Manager were present at the celebration to accept the generous $5,000 donation from the Toys “R” Us Children’s Fund.
The donated funds are earmarked to be used for creation of an autism sensory resource room at Camp Merry Heart, which has provided a safe, supervised and beautiful setting for over 30,000 individuals with disabilities and special needs to participate in a wide variety of recreational activities since 1967.
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Genuardi’s Adds “Supporting Easter Seals” to Shoppers’ Grocery Lists this April !
In New Jersey, just stop into a Genuardi’s store during the month of April and participate in an in-store fund raising campaign at check-out stands. Store clerks will ask if you’d like to make a donation to Easter Seals. Your donation will support the exceptional programs that make a difference in our community. In 2008, the campaign raised over $6 million for Easter Seals affiliates across the country!
Safeway Inc. is one of Easter Seals’ most generous corporate partners. Over the past 20 years, Safeway has raised more than $80 million to help us provide services for people with disabilities. Safeway’s roughly 1,500 stores across the United States (operating under various brand names) will devote the month of April to raising money for Easter Seals in this coordinated company-wide effort. Easter Seals is honored to have the support of Genuardi’s, its employees and customers. Together, they are helping children and adults living with autism and other disabilities.
Safeway's commitment to local communities is coordinated by the Safeway Foundation under the direction of Larree Renda who notes that “One of the reasons we’ve been with Easter Seals all these years is because the money we raise stays in local communities. And, Easter Seals is the best in its class at doing things efficiently so that the dollars raised go directly to clients served by the organization.”
Be sure to spread the word about this promotion to benefit people with disabilities -- and visit your local Genuardi’s store!
The Fraternal Order of Police is the world's largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers with 275,000 members throughout the U.S. Over two decades, the FOP, it's Auxiliary and Associates have provided outstanding volunteer service and raised nearly $35,000 within the last 2 years for Easter Seals New Jersey.
What if Making a Difference was as easy as Making a Meal this Easter?
From March 1st through April 19th, Hatfield Hams will be donating $3 for every rebate returned from purchased Hatfield Brand whole boneless or spiral sliced hams. Even better, Hatfield is giving each consumer the opportunity to match Hatfield’s contribution by donating the $3 value of their rebate to Easter Seals for a total donation of $6...LET’S EAT!!
To find out more about the Easter Ham promotion or to find a participating retailer near you visit http://www.hatfieldqualitymeats.com/easterseals/index.aspx
Schering Plough Employees Volunteer their Time at Multiple Easter Seals Locations on “Day of Caring”
 Employees from Schering-Plough once again donated their time and effort to Easter Seals during this year’s “Day of Caring” in October.
Like a small army, approximately 35 employees enthusiastically embarked on two of Easter Seals New Jersey’s facilities. At the Franklin Sheltered Workshop, where people with disabilities are able to gain valuable work skills and earn an independent income, the volunteers completed an entire repainting of the interior walls and still had time to enjoy some fall fun while painting pumpkins with the workshop participants.
The second group of volunteers enjoyed the great outdoors while undertaking a landscaping and beautification project at one of Easter Seals’ residential homes for individuals with mental illness in Somerset.
"I'm here to give back to those who are less fortunate than myself,” said one Schering-Plough volunteer. “Schering-Plough's ‘Day of Caring’ is a fantastic opportunity for people to realize where and how they can help others."
According to Schering-Plough, there are plenty of opportunities to show support for community development via organizations that promote culture and the arts, environmental issues, legal services, etc. and they are always seeking out new and innovative ways to serve the community.
Easter Seals is grateful for the efforts of the Schering-Plough volunteers and for their contributions to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities through this "Day of Caring."
On Saturday, November 8, 2008, Easter Seals and Robert Half International, Inc. teamed up for Robert Half International, Inc.’s “Day of Caring”!
Nine volunteers lent their time to our organization to paint the interior of one of our residential facilities in Somerset County.
They all worked very hard and were able to complete painting of the first and second floors of the group home. It was an impressive display of teamwork and commitment to the community in which they live!
Easter Seals would like to, once again, thank everyone involved for helping to organize this wonderful event and we look forward to such successful collaborations in the future.
Robert Half International is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service. For more information about Robert Half, which has more than 360 locations worldwide, please visit http://www.rhi.com/.
Boscov's Department Stores currently has 40 stores, reaching across five states in the Mid Atlantic region of the country.
Since 1983, Independent Quixtar business owners have been partnered with Easter Seals to support services to children and adults with disabilities and their families. During this time, over $28.5 million dollars has been contributed to Easter Seals by both Quixtar headquarters and Independent Business Owners.
MBNA America Bank, N.A.
Easter Seals supporters now have the chance to make a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities in their communities every time they use the Easter Seals WorldPoints(SM) Platinum Plus® credit card from MBNA America Bank, N.A.
Easter Seals will begin to benefit immediately upon the acquisition and activation of new accounts! MBNA will make a contribution of $40 for every new account opened and active for 90 days when accounts are generated by Easter Seals.
Plus, every time a purchase is made with the Easter Seals WorldPoints(SM) Platinum Plus® MasterCard®, MBNA will make an additional contribution to Easter Seals at a rate of $.25 per $100 spent in net retail purchases!
Click here to learn more about this exciting offer including rates, fees and other cost information, or to apply now!
Camp Merry Heart Welcomes Volunteers from M&M-Mars’ Hackettstown Facility
 Mars, Inc.—manufacturers of such well-loved candies as M&M’s, Snickers, Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Skittles and Starburst candy, as well Uncle Ben’s Rice, and Pedigree and Whiskas pet foods—is a family owned company that employs more than 12,000 associates in the US and Canada and 43,000 associates worldwide.
The Mars Volunteer Program Day (MVP Day), inspired by the company’s 5 principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, Freedom—takes place nationwide during the first week of June and employees at its 48 locations across the country take time to contribute to their local communities through various volunteer efforts.
With volunteer efforts focused on youth enrichment, hunger relief, animal welfare and the environment, Mars’ Hackettstown, NJ facility chose to dedicate their “MVP” time this year to Easter Seals NJ’s Camp Merry Heart! On Thursday, June 5th and Friday, June 6th, approximately 35 volunteers descended upon the campgrounds and completed a thorough interior spring cleaning of all the cabins, painted the porches of the dining hall and all the cabins, and undertook various landscaping projects throughout the grounds.
When asked what prompted Mars to choose Camp Merry Heart for their volunteer efforts, Mars employee Shelley Harvey replied that many employees at the company’s Hackettstown facility have sent their children to the camp throughout the years and that they are well acquainted with the high caliber of quality camping and recreation services provided by Easter Seals NJ’s Camp Merry Heart. | 
