Benefit for Alliance slated for Oct. 25
The Alliance of Neighbors of Monmouth County Inc. will host an evening of fun, food and entertainment Oct. 25 at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa in Long Branch.
The fund-raising dinner will support the Alliance of Neighbors’ outreach to families of Sept. 11 victims.
In addition to dinner, the event will include an auction of sports memorabilia, and entertainment by the horn-based band LaBamba, which is led by trombone player Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg.
Angela LaGreca, comedienne, singer and actress, will be the guest auctioneer for both a silent and live auction.
Chefs David Rosengarten, a cookbook author who appears on TV’s Food Network, and Micol Negrin, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York, will demonstrate culinary techniques. Both chefs will autograph copies of their latest cookbooks.
Tickets are $250 and can be reserved by calling J. Vero Associates at (732) 333-1501.
Formed within days of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Alliance of Neighbors has raised more than $1.3 million since its inception to aid families of 9/11 victims, according to James Wassel, founder and president of the nonprofit.
"We’re still working with about 135 families," he said. "The needs of these families quietly continue."
Wassel, Rumson, said some $1 million has been dispersed thus far to survivors.
The nonprofit has a two-pronged program of aid to survivors that includes short-term financial help with expenses, as well as long-term support in the form of an educational and emotional wellness foundation. Through the foundation, administered by a local bank, $1,500 per year is available to each family member for educational and wellness programs like counseling and camps, Wassel explained.
In addition to direct aid, Wassel said the Alliance has developed into a clearinghouse that helps to link survivors with other resources for aid.