BY KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
KATHY CHANG Metuchen Pulls Together hopes to get a wheelchair-accessible van for Jonathan Verges, who has cerebral palsy, and his family. Verges (front) with Metuchen High School teachers Barbara Johnson (l-r), Thomas Vahalla and Paula Greene, and his friend, Michael Yasin. METUCHEN – Borough residents are pulling together to make things happen for Metuchen High School senior Jonathan Verges.
Verges, 17, has cerebral palsy and must use a wheelchair.
“His only means of transportation is to and from school,” said Kathleen Delaney, event coordinator for Metuchen Pulls Together.
So teachers Paula Greene, Barbara Johnson and Thomas Vahalla, and Metuchen Sgt. David Irizarry came together to help Verges live a less restrictive life.
And Metuchen Pulls Together (MPT) was born.
Their immediate goal is to obtain and outfit a wheelchair accessible van for Jonathan’s family. But they hope to continue the organization to help other young people in the future.
MPT has received support from local government, educational and business leaders, fire and law enforcement departments and civic groups.
Verges moved to Metuchen from New York while he was in middle school. He lives with his aunt and his grandmother, who also uses a wheelchair.
Both wheelchairs are motorized and are too large to fit in the family’s compact car. A folding wheelchair must be used when either Verges or his grandmother go out in the car. He cannot go out for a long period of time because the chair doesn’t give Verges the support he needs for his back, Delaney said.
“This van will allow his aunt to take him and his grandmother anywhere,” said Delaney.
Problems began when Verges’ wheelchair broke last Thanksgiving.
“No one came to repair his wheelchair,” said Vahalla, MPT’s sponsorship person. “He had to miss three days of school.”
Vahalla called Assemblyman Peter J. Barnes, who arranged to have a company repair the wheelchair within two days.
Verges was back in school in no time, but he still had travel limitations.
Metuchen Pulls Together kicked off their fundraiser at the high school recently with entertainment by Diamond Dancers, Michael Yasin and Verges himself.
“I may be one of the lucky ones with cerebral palsy,” said Verges after he accompanied Yasin in the rendition of Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You” by rapping the Clipse part. “I can think and I can talk; it’s just that my legs don’t balance.”
Verges wants to go on to college and eventually have a career in sound recording.
“That is a love of mine,” he said. “I like R&B, hip-hop and the new reggaeton.”
Verges is a peer leader and works at the YMCA on Tuesdays and Thursdays as part of the Experience Based Career Education program at the high school.
“Jonathan has been an inspiration to the YMCA community ever since he walked through our doors in September,” said Michael Tonzola, teen and youth sports director at the YMCA.
Verges monitors the YMCA’s volunteer hours and also helps Tonzola plan teen center activities and his Leader’s Club.
“He is a determined, hard-working young adult,” said Tonzola. “The YMCA and I are happy to know him.”
The kickoff left students, staff and others in tears.
“You might be having a bad day, but one look at Jonathan who comes to school with a smile on every day and is so motivated, it goes away,” said Vahalla.
As Verges headed down the hall to cooking class after the kickoff, he was swarmed left to right with hugs and kisses from his peers. He was named “Mr. Congeniality” of his high school senior class.
Metuchen Pulls Together’s fund-raising event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 10 in the Pearl Street parking lot.
There will be plenty of events and food. One of the events will be the borough’s first fire-engine pull.
Teams of 12 will have an opportunity to pull one of the Metuchen fire engine 12 feet. The team that pulls the truck the fastest will win trophies.
All About U Salon & Spa, 285 Central Ave., is sponsoring a Cut-A-Thon from 3 to 6 p.m. on May 6. Salon owners Ana Rodrigues and Danielle Bongard along with their staff will open doors to anyone who wants a professional haircut for a discounted price of $15, with all of the proceeds going to MPT. For more information call (732) 516-0155.
All are welcome to attend the fundraiser. Donations may be made to Metuchen Pulls Together, 500 Main Street, Metuchen, NJ 08840. Metuchen PBA Local 60 will facilitate fund management.
For more information visit www.metuchenpullstogether.org or contact Kathleen Delaney, Thomas Vahalla or Paula Green at (732) 809-1267.