The Community Chest Raises Record $105,000 for COVID-19

The Community Chest, a nonprofit organization serving eastern Bergen County in New Jersey, raised a record $105,000 at its virtual gala, The Power of the Community, held on September 16. The funds raised were directed to The Chest's Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund to provide competitive grants to nonprofit agencies providing services to people experiencing hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nina Pineda, an award-winning broadcast journalist with WABC-TV "7 On Your Side", emceed the event.

With the motto 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors', The Chest leads initiatives and supports nonprofits that make communities stronger and benefit people in eastern Bergen County. Through a competitive process, grants will be awarded to nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations to support a range of needs in the area, such as hunger, afterschool programming, elderly care, career counseling for women, choral music instruction for youngsters, mental health services, environmental education, and medical care to diabetic, low income pregnant women among others.

"It takes many hands to do a virtual event for the first time. The number of people, who supported The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County's virtual gala, was notable. They not only donated financially, but they also contributed a range of great auction prizes and with their generous support of volunteer time. We thank all of them," said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, DSW, Executive Director, The Community Chest.

Program

The gala honored these companies and individuals for their involvement and contributions to the community: Englewood Health, formerly Englewood Hospital, received the Community Leadership Award; Jaguar Land Rover Englewood received the Corporate Philanthropy Award; and Barbara Strauss and Tom Manolio were recognized with the Outstanding Volunteers Award.

A donation from ME JANE of new coats and jackets to the gala's auction for the 'support a program' sold out. Forty-seven children serviced by West Side Infants & Children's Program and Bergen Family Center received the auctioned outerwear and will be warm this fall.

Sponsors

The 2020 gala drew a record number of sponsors. They included Lakeland Bank, Otterstedt Insurance Agency, BMW of Tenafly, Citi Private Bank, Boyd Richards Parker & Colonnelli, Englewood Health Foundation, GNY Insurance Companies, Jaguar Land Rover Englewood, The Kamson Corp., Robert J. Wilkens Insurance Agency, The Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Foundation, Valley National Bank, Visions Federal Credit Union, ConnectOne Bank, UBS The Bianco-Daly Group Wealth Management, and BLG | Berkley Luxury Group. These sponsors were joined by Antin, Ehrlich & Epstein, LLP, Dr. Barry and Melanie Zingler, GNY Insurance Companies, VRH, Carol Geisenheimer, TD Bank, and Judy Simon ME JANE Outerwear.

Additional sponsors were Richard Engel, Loren and Jennifer Wimpfheimer, Justin and Shelly Wimpfheimer, Richard and Shawn Kennedy, Adam and Franci Steinberg, Joe and Judy Klyde, Louise Schwartz, Richard Engel and Swati Rao Engel, Peter and Annette Corbin, Suzan Gordon, Alex and April Uram, Jacqueline Mortman and John Pierre Saint-Louis, Barbara Strauss and Tom Manolio, and Michael Shannon.

For further information about The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County, visit the organization's website or call 201-568-7474.