More than 200 supporters of Dottie’s House participated in the fourth annual 5K run/walk on Sept. 14. FirstEnergy Park, Lakewood, home of the BlueClaws baseball team, hosted the event, which raised more than $12,000 for Dottie’s House, a facility that provides second-stage housing for families who have survived domestic violence.
Ocean Medical Center, Brick, was the main sponsor for the 5K event. Jersey Central Power & Light was a new sponsor for this year.
The participants included the Brick High School cheerleaders, the Point Pleasant High School field hockey team and more than 30 students from the Lanes Mill Elementary School. Children being pushed in strollers and pulled in wagons were all welcome for this family event.
The first-place male winner was Walter MacGowan of Spring Lake with a time of 19:57. Walter is president of Shore AC Running Club. He has participated in 800 runs, and this is his first win. The first-place female winner was Kim Daley of Brielle with a time of 20:58.
All of the participants went home with a T-shirt, BlueClaws yearbooks and goody bags. After the race the participants enjoyed refreshments provided by food sponsors including Krispy Kreme Donuts of Brick, Dunkin’ Donuts of Toms River, Manhattan Bagel of Brick, Julie’s Bagels of Brick, Pat’s Pizza in Point Pleasant, Sub Shack in Brick, and Pathmark and ShopRite supermarkets.
Dottie’s House, located in Ocean County, is a second-stage, transitional housing facility for women and their children who are survivors of domestic violence. Clients attend mandatory training classes on parenting, job training and budgeting. A professional staff provides case management, counseling, support groups, therapy, art therapy and other services. It offers housing in the form of two- and three-bedroom apartments at which the residents can reside for a maximum of 24 months. For further information, call (732) 295-7380.
OceanFirst Foundation, Toms River, recently pledged a total of $120,000 over the next three years to the United Way of Ocean County’s "Healthy Smiles" program. OceanFirst Foundation has supported the United Way of Ocean County with grants totaling over $1 million since 1996.
United Way of Ocean County established the "Healthy Smiles" program with a legislative grant in 2001. To date, more than 150 children ages 2-6 in Ocean County have received free dental care through the Healthy Smiles program. To help this number grow, the OceanFirst Foundation will allocate $50,000 in 2003, $40,000 in 2004, and $30,000 in 2005 to expand the reach of the Healthy Smiles program.
Denise Long of Brick recently took part in Weekenders USA fall fashion launch, the national roll-out of the company’s new season’s fashions. The event, held Aug. 22 in Nashville, featured many new styles in addition to the company’s existing line.
Weekenders USA is a direct sales company specializing in high quality mix-and-match knits. In 2002, the company sold more than 2 million garments throughout the United States. It is headquartered in Vernon Hills, Ill.