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Health & Fitness

Cancer Concern Center Raises $23,000 through New Jersey Marathon

The Cancer Concern Center recognizes the community support for its first-ever charity running team at the New Jersey Marathon.

The Cancer Concern Center is a small non-profit in Point Pleasant Beach that provides emotional support and wellness programs to women and men with cancer who are our neighbors. The organization is small, operated by volunteers, and not affiliated with any national charities.

I'm thrilled to share that the Cancer Concern Center raised more than $23,000 through the 2012 New Jersey Marathon at the Shore. Our first-ever charity team was comprised of 29 runners and 58 volunteers.

This was the first time the Cancer Concern Center attempted a fundraiser of this magnitude. I was the co-chair of Team Cancer Concern along with Lisa Montalbano, who is the Cancer Concern Center's office manager.

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Lisa and I are so grateful to the runners who trained for the full marathon, half marathon, or half marathon relay while raising critical funds for the Cancer Concern Center.

Our runners included Point Pleasant Councilman Chris Goss, who tackled his first marathon for the Cancer Concern Center, and Point Pleasant resident Kim Prytherch, who completed the half marathon. Kim organized a “Barking Mad Bingo for Breast Cancer” fundraiser and kindly donated proceeds to the Cancer Concern Center. I also ran the half marathon!

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The Montalbano family of Point Pleasant Beach was represented by Ken, Ken, Jr., and Brittany Montalbano, each of whom ran the half marathon relay along with family member Tim McDonough of Brick.

Salon du Monde of Point Pleasant Beach continues to be a staunch supporter of the Cancer Concern Center. Bailey Hoffman and Sally Noone from Salon du Monde ran the half marathon relay, and the salon offered “marathon specials” to raise money for the center. Thank you to Salon du Monde owner Danielle Malone for your generosity.

Our dedicated runners hailed from all over New Jersey and New York. Half marathoners and relay runners from the Monmouth/Ocean County area included Janine Badore, Lisa Giglio, Tina Kennis, Jacquelyn Koenig, Debbie and Steve McCarthy, Michele Reimer, Andrea Sansone, Suzanne Vita, and Andrea Wilber.

Runners from North Jersey and New York, who completed the half marathon or half marathon relay, were Travis Ah King, Jeremy Beer, Brittany Bogle, Samantha De Burra, Laura De Young, Jackie Fennessey, Susanne Johansson, Andrea Wikander, Bryan Zimmermann, and Judie Zimmermann.

Thank you to all our amazing runners!

The Cancer Concern Center is incredibly grateful to our volunteers, who worked tirelessly throughout marathon weekend. Our volunteers made it possible for the Cancer Concern Center to receive a donation directly from the marathon organizers. Thank you, volunteers, for your patience and support!

Generous sponsors made financial donations to Team Concern Center and enabled us to exceed $23,000. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors: 

Ameriprise Financial/Laday, Proske and Associates; Atlantic Real Estate Services; Bay Head-Mantoloking PBA Local 347; Ray Catena; CSS Building Services; Laura De Young Editorial & Web Design; Electrical Edge, Inc.; Thomas P. Frio, Ph.D.; Interstate Mechanical Services; Iorio Construction Company; Integrity Recycling and Waste Solutions; Jersey Shore Radiation and Oncology; Keefe Communications LLC; Lawrence-Mayer Wilson Interiors; Meridian Health; Michael Nagy, MD, FACS; Dr. Kenneth and Ann Marie Nahum; OceanFirst; Point Pleasant Elks Lodge 1698; Reynwood Communications; and Salon du Monde.

Thank you to the staff of the Point Pleasant School District, who participated in a Friday “jeans day” and made a generous donation to the Cancer Concern Center.

We appreciate the interest and enthusiasm of Point Pleasant Patch editor Denise DiStephan. Denise covered our charity team on numerous occasions and was extremely supportive of our efforts. The positive media coverage on Patch helped us secure runners, volunteers, and donations.

Finally, we extend a heartfelt thank you to Race Director Joe Gigas and Gaylin Grey of the New Jersey Marathon for their kindness, enthusiasm, and attention to detail. Joe’s goal is for everyone who runs the New Jersey Marathon to do so on behalf of a local charity, and we think that’s an amazing initiative.

With the support of our community, the Cancer Concern Center provides support groups, nutritional counseling, massage, meditation, yoga, and wigs to adults with cancer. At the Cancer Concern Center, $10, $100, or $1,000 goes a long way – and $23,000 covers half a year of operational expenses. We’ll continue to work tirelessly to raise the other half!

If cancer has touched your family, please consider making a donation, of any amount, to the Cancer Concern Center.

Donations are accepted via our Web Site (cancerconcerncenter.org) or at the Cancer Concern Center (1101 Richmond Avenue, Suite 101, Point Pleasant Beach). Our next fundraiser is a Dinner Dance on November 17 at Doolan’s Shore Club in Spring Lake.

Thank you very much!

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