SAYREVILLE — Almost one year after superstorm Sandy devastated parts of Middlesex County, Catholic Charities- Diocese of Metuchen’s annual Flame of Charity dinner will honor some of Sayreville and South Amboy’s own for their involvement in post-superstorm Sandy recovery efforts.
At the Oct. 24 dinner in New Brunswick, Father Thomas Ryan, pastor of Our Lady of Victories (OLV) Church, Sayreville, will receive the Community Servant Award, and brothers Brian J. and Dennis M. Kelly, president and CEO respectively of APG Security LLC, South Amboy, will be named the Humanitarian of the Year.
“Father Ryan basically became part of the fabric of how anyone got help in the area,” said Courtney Shore, communications manager for Catholic Charities-Diocese of Metuchen.
After the storm last October, OLV was involved in several efforts to help those affected by Sandy — from providing the original space to house donations for the Sayreville Storm Relief Center, to organizing fundraisers to help those displaced from their homes get back on their feet.
“The intense impact that [superstorm] Sandy had on Sayreville, South River, South Amboy, Perth Amboy, Old Bridge and Laurence Harbor presented a challenge to the many parishes and agencies of the Diocese of Metuchen,” Ryan said. “On a personal level, the leadership team of our parish agreed that the needs of the families affected by Sandy was a priority.”
According to Kimberly Coombs, director of development at Catholic Charities- Diocese of Metuchen, the Kellys were chosen because of their contributions to recovery efforts in South Amboy.
“The Kelly brothers — as owners of APG Securities — exemplified corporate leadership in their response efforts to support victims of the storm by deploying an exclusive team of security, safety and emergency preparedness professionals to help area residents and businesses prepare for the worst before the storm hit, and then in the storm’s aftermath,” Coombs said.
Catholic Charities-Diocese of Metuchen continues to be involved in recovery efforts as one of the agencies involved in the Middlesex County Long-Term Recovery Group, the group responsible for managing the cases of those in the county who are still in need of assistance.
The Catholic Charities-Diocese of Metuchen’s Flame of Charity dinner will be held Oct. 24 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 2 Albany St., New Brunswick.
Tickets cost $200 per person and include a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development at 732-562-2438, email flameofcharity13@diometuchen.org or visit www.diometuchen.org/flameofcharity.
Contact Stella Morrison at smorrison@gmnews.com.