Rita Jones, left to right, Cindie Dnistrian and Dee Wallace help their fellow “elves” box up goodies at the Holiday Express warehouse in Tinton Falls on Nov. 20. Right: Kevin Harjes boxes up gift bags and supplies in preparation for a party the following day. Holiday Express has evolved over the past two decades from a local musical charity into a nationally renowned phenomenon, bringing gifts and entertainment to more than 15,000 disabled or disadvantaged youths and adults every holiday season.
Like Santa Claus, the group’s cast of professional musicians and costumed characters are eagerly awaited by the specialneeds programs, developmental centers, medical facilities, soup kitchens and shelters they visit each year.
“They are a forgotten, underserved population,” Holiday Express Executive Director Don Pignataro said. “And that’s exactly who we want to go see — these people who receive so little. They deserve to have a party. They deserve to have someone come up to them and say, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ ”
Also like Santa Claus, Holiday Express has the support of hundreds of “elves” who work quietly behind the scenes.
This year, as in years past, more than 1,000 volunteers — both young and old — will pack gift bags, load trucks, organize toys and toiletries, and prepare food donations at the Holiday Express “workshop” in Tinton Falls.
Many, like Fair Haven resident Patti Westendorf, got hooked on the organization after seeing one of the live events in person.
“Just to see the expression on people’s faces, just to see that music will reach them no matter what handicap they have — it’s hard to explain,” said Westendorf, a recently retired schoolteacher. “It’s just a great experience.”
Westendorf worked alongside nearly 20 other “adult elves” in the warehouse one morning last week, packing boxes of crayons, blankets, toiletries and other donated items into gift bags for Holiday Express’ visit to the Children’s Therapy Center in Midland Park the following day.
Some of those helping out were multiyear veterans of the organization. They volunteer as many as five days a week in the warehouse and on the tour bus during the holiday season.
Little Silver resident Amy Brogan spent the afternoon of Nov. 19 handing out gifts and interacting with residents at a mental health center in Toms River, then showed up at the warehouse the following morning to prepare for the next event.
“I think it reaches people in a different way,” she said, recounting a story of a young man who had prepared a holidaythemed rap song and performed it with the Holiday Express band the day before. “You’re not just handing out something and leaving. You’re interacting with them.”
The organization will travel to a record 63 facilities between Nov. 12 and Dec. 24 this year, including locations in Jackson, Woodbridge, Neptune, Eatontown, Freehold, Lincroft and Edison. With a stable of more than 100 professional musicians, including founder and local restaurateur Tim McLoone, Holiday Express often visits multiple locations on the same day, in addition to its annual concerts in Red Bank and Newark.
Speaking at his restaurant in Long Branch prior to the kickoff of this year’s tour, McLoone explained why the organization continues to expand, even as it approaches its 900th event.
“I see the need out there, and in truth we don’t even touch a real, meaningful percentage of it,” McLoone said. “So, my first question is always, ‘How many can we do?’ Let’s get the events first, then we’ll figure out how to pay for it.”
In addition to a live, holiday-themed concert, the volunteers also provide facepainting, construction-paper hats, food, clothing, raffle prizes and more. All of the supplies — in addition to the more than $1 million it costs to run Holiday Express throughout the year — come from individual donors, corporate sponsors, annual fundraisers and grants.
Since 2000, the organization has awarded more than $500,000 in college scholarships to deserving high school graduates, presented awards to many of the facilities it serves, and staged multiple proms for disabled teens.
Recognizing that Holiday Express is often the only organization that supports many of these facilities, McLoone said he makes a concerted effort to reach as many individuals as possible.
“Over 15 or 20 years, you can see the same person, in essence, at all periods of their life,” he said. “We show up and we play for maybe three hours, then we leave. In their lives, those three hours are all they get out of the year.”
The unique events, and the often heartwarming memories they generate, drive volunteers to recruit friends, spouses and even total strangers into the organization.
Waretown resident Linda Beveridge was recruited by her friend’s 8-year-old son, who has been a Holiday Express volunteer since age 5. This year, he collected 1,500 toothbrushes for the organization. He plans to collect 2,400 next year.
“His mother brings him and five other friends down here in the afternoon and they do gift bags,” Beveridge said. “He loves it. When he found out I was coming, he called me and said, ‘Aunt Linda, you’re going to love it.’ ”
Warehouse manager Patricia Wotton started volunteering about 10 years ago, after Holiday Express held an event for her family and others that were impacted by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“They held a concert for us years ago, and it was at a time where music was painful to hear,” said Wotton, a resident of Middletown. “It was a great help in the healing process. I ended up coming to the warehouse and helping at events. Now I’m on the board of trustees. So it’s just kind of snowballed.”
Retirees, professionals, church groups, Scout troops and countless others have joined the ranks of Holiday Express elves. The organization keeps regular warehouse hours during the holiday season, and encourages anyone interested to come and help out.
For supplies, the organization is in need of new hats, scarves, gloves, socks and other warm clothes for children between the ages of 2 and 12. Financial donations — used to fund the events and buy gifts and supplies for facilities when donations are unavailable — can be made by visiting www.holidayexpress.org.
“It’s all about giving out a little bit of hope,” Pignataro said.