Editor’s note: In light of recent events related to coronavirus, some organizations have decided to cancel their upcoming programs. Please check the status of any event before attending. An ongoing, updated list is available at www.centraljersey.com.
The seventh annual Jammin for Jaclyn Benefit Concert will hold a special version of its event via Facebook Live at @JamminforJaclyn on June 13.
Nine artists will live stream performances from 7-10:30 p.m. The current lineup is: John Walsh at 7 p.m., Fern at 7:20 p.m., Levy Okun at 7:40 p.m., Sof at 8 p.m., Natalie Farrell at 8:25 p.m., Sahara Moon at 8:45 p.m., Jake Tavill at 9:15 p.m., Nick Ryan at 9:40 p.m., and Taylor Tote at 10:05 p.m.
50/50 raffles should be purchased before the event as the winner will be drawn at the end of the night.
Donate online at https://givebutter.com/jammin-for-jaclyn or text “J4J2020” to 202-858-1233. Or, make a check payable to RJC Charities Inc. and mail to Jammin for Jaclyn, 292 Stevens Ave., South Amboy 08879.
This year’s beneficiaries, Sienna Smith and the Chris Szatkowski family, are both stricken by cancer.
Christ Episcopal Church in South Amboy is accepting essays from high school seniors for a scholarship it will award this spring.
The church will present a $500 scholarship to one college-bound student who exemplifies volunteerism and commitment to the community.
To be eligible, students must reside in the South Amboy or Sayreville area and submit an essay, no longer than 500 words, describing how he/she serves the community, how that service has helped enrich his/her life and how he/she hopes to continue to be service-minded after high school.
Essays should be emailed to [email protected] no later than May 30.
This scholarship is sponsored by the Women with Purpose group of Christ Church.
For more information, email [email protected].
Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society is holding Fetch & Pounce, a month-long virtual fun run/walk/bike event during May to benefit local homeless animals.
The event, in partnership with Pets 2 the Rescue, allows participants to safely take part in a virtual one-mile or 5K run/walk or 5-mile bike ride during the entire month to raise money for Karma Cat + Zen Dog. Registration costs $13.25 and $10 of the registration fee is donated to the animals taken care of by Karma Cat + Zen Dog.
To participate, register at pets2therescue.org/northeast and choose Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society as the participating shelter and team. Participants then complete their run/walk/bike distance while observing social distancing protocols, and can either submit their time via the IYR Virtual mobile app or manually online. Participants can RSVP to Karma Cat + Zen Dog’s Facebook event page for the race for fun and inspiring content from fellow team members.
For more information, visit https://karmacatzendog.org/event/fetchpouncevirtual/.
Although Karma Cat + Zen Dog’s adoption facilities in Milltown and North Brunswick are currently closed, many cats currently reside in volunteer foster homes and those interested in adopting can browse available pets online at https://karmacatzendog.org/adoption/ and contact the rescue to set up a virtual meet-and-greet.
Quaran-Teen-Ed: Apart But Not Alone is a PSA contest for New Jersey high school students.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Express your creativity by sharing how you are coping and keeping your mind and body healthy. The PSA will provide support to other youth who may be going through a difficult time.
Enter a digital poster, size 11-inch by 11-inch (1080 by 1080 pixels) as a jpg file; a poem, short essay or lyrics, 300 words max, as a pdf file; or a 30-60 second video as an mp4 file.
Entries must include a reference to 2nd Floor Youth Helpline 888-222-2228. Provide accurate and factual information from other reliable sources. Incorporate the message and phrase “Apart But Not Alone.”
Attach the submission and email to [email protected]. Subject line should state County, Name, Contest Submission. Include first and last name, name of high school, grade, project title, contact phone number and email, and parent/guardian name and contact information for approval.
Winners will be chosen by regional community leaders and celebrity judge Joetta Clark Diggs, a four-time Olympian.
Prizes range from $100 to $400. Winning entries will be posted on various social media outlets.
Deadline is 10 p.m. on May 31. Winners will be announced on June 8.
The Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Ohr will present New Jersey author Michelle Cameron, discussing her soon-to-be released book “Beyond the Ghetto Gates,” at 1 p.m. on May 31.
The novel is set in 1796, when Napoleon marched into Italy and opened the ghetto gates, freeing the Jews who had long been trapped behind them. The novel raises issues including the conflict between assimilation and religious tradition, intermarriage, and the struggle between love and familial duty.
Cost is $25.
For more information, contact Liz at 908-256-0276 or at [email protected]
Congregation Beth Ohr is located at 70 Route 516, Old Bridge.
The top 10 poems have been selected for the 2020 NAMI NJ Dara Axelrod Expressive Arts Mental Health Poetry Contest based on the theme of “battling our challenges with superpowers.”
NAMI NJ (National Alliance on Mental Illness) members and friends can vote online for the top three poems through May 31. All poems entered into the contest will be showcased on NAMI NJ’s Poetry Corner webpage in the coming months.
The poems are listed in alphabetical order by poem name; the author names are temporarily omitted for fair voting: Cosmic Revelation, D.I.D., Hello my name is: Resilience, Metamorphosis, My Survival Story, Signs, Silence, The good the bad and the mental illness, Untitled and Visibility.
Vote online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXO_T5z59SYT0yfYZWD8p__l2lY9CPenSF2Uby645myyQK9w/viewform
The honorees are:
- Chris Beagan, Class of 1990, three-time state championship coach, GMC Coach of the Year
- Steven Casano, Class of 1985, founding executive director of NeuroSearch; Sayreville Little League coach, sponsorship coordinator and board member
- William D’Amico, Class of 1973, distinguished military career; three special operations commanding officer tours of duty; post-military career in corporate medical device, consumer goods and industrial manufacturing industries
- The late Matthew Lynch, Class of 1985, president of Friends Of Children’s Hospital in Warsaw, Poland; honored by U.S. ambassador to Poland for 20 years of service
- Farrah Reilly, Class of 1994, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author under the pen name Emma Chase; books translated into more than 20 languagesTickets are $50 for adults or $30 for children, with a choice of meals. For more information, call Elaine Kubacz at 732-727-0192.All previous ad book and ticket requests will be honored for the September date.For problems or questions, contact Elaine Kubacz at 732-727-0192 or [email protected].
Monroe Township Jewish War Veterans Post 609 is collecting United States and foreign stamps, both on and off envelopes.
Stamps are used by veterans as hobbies and as therapy to support medical staff at VA Medical Centers nationwide.
Stamps are not traded or sold; they are forwarded to veteran patients at no charge.
Also requested are DVDs suitable for veterans at those locations.
Send all items to JWV Post 609, c/o Charles Koppelman, 6 Yarmouth Dr., Monroe 08831-4742.
Old Bridge High School is seeking active duty or reservist military personnel who are alumni for the Military Wall of Honor expected to be established this year.
The wall is meant to commemorate graduates who have given their lives to honor their country and shine a light on the importance of veterans within the Old Bridge community.
Residents are urged to assist with the project by spreading the word of the proposed military wall. The high school is looking for graduates from 1995 through the present.
To submit information, visit docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSev1sK7AIQ6KvNb2iqUz6l7UgFmPBJXBpMbkAR2IuRwkUeVQQ/viewform or contact Guy Lassen at [email protected].
Carnaby Street will present a free show sponsored by the Sayreville Cultural Arts Council at 7:30 p.m. on June 3 at the Sayreville Senior Center, 423 Main St.
Carnaby Street plays music from the 1960s featuring the British Invasion of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc.
For more information, call Edna at 908-208-2358.
The First Presbyterian Church of Sayreville is seeking vendors for its annual flea market, set for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 6 at the church, 172 Main St., Sayreville.
Spaces are available for $15 for one space or $25 for two. There are a limited number of tables to rent for an additional $5. No food vendors.
For more information, leave a message on the church answering machine at 732-257-6353 or email [email protected].
Camp Invention, a nonprofit summer enrichment camp program,will visit Carl Sandburg Middle School, 3439 Route 516, Old Bridge, the week of June 22-26.
A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Camp Invention challenges children in grades K-6 to find their “inner inventor” by learning the process of innovation. Using hands-on activities, Camp Invention promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning; builds confidence, leadership, perseverance, resourcefulness and problem-solving skills; and encourages entrepreneurship.
At the end of the program, each camper will bring home a robot.
For more information, visit invent.org/camp.
The Redhawk Native American Arts Council will hold its annual Raritan Pow Wow from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., rain or shine, on June 20 and 21 at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds, 655 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
There will be Native American dancers, singers, artists, vendors, crafts, performing groups and food.
Grand entry of dancers is at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. both days.
The cost is $12 for adults and teens, $8 for children ages 6-12, $10 for seniors age 65 and older, $10 for students, and $35 online only for family four-packs.
Parking is free.
Bring lawn chairs. Leashed pets welcome.
For more information, visit www.redhawkcouncil.org. For tickets, visit raritanpw2020.eventbrite.com.
Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County will hold its One Community Gala for 2020 at 5 p.m. on June 14 at Classical Caterers at Congregation B’Nai Tikvah, 1001 Finnegans Lane, North Brunswick.
Dinner, dancing and auction.
Honorees include community leaders David and Ellen Rabinowitz, BCB Bank and Vincent Davis, and Bill Neary.
Sponsorship opportunities and journal ads are available.
For more information, email [email protected] or [email protected], or call 732-777-1940.
The fourth annual Celebrate Middlesex County event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 13 at Roosevelt Park, Parsonage Road, Edison.
Enjoy roller skating, a fishing derby, live music, entertainment, food trucks and hands-on activities.
For more information, visit middlesexcountynj.gov/celebrate.
The SAMHAJ (South Asian Mental Health Awareness in Jersey) Multicultural Picnic is planned for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 11 at Thompson Park Grove 4AB, Perrineville Road and Schoolhouse Road, Monroe.
The annual NAMIWalks is scheduled for Sept. 26 at the Boardwalk at Seaside Park.
For more information, visit www.naminj.org.