Party With Purpose Focuses on Hoboken's Kids

The Hoboken Boys and Girls Club gymnasium was more crowded than usual Tuesday afternoon, as a group of volunteers came in to play with roughly 50 local kids, during the annual Party with Purpose 5K day. 

Sweat dripped of foreheads and the sound of sneakers' squeaking against the floor filled the large room as the children released their energy and the volunteers tried to keep up. 

Although a kids' run was planned at Pier A Park for the afternoon as part of the Party with Purpose's activities for the day, that event was cancelled, due to inclement weather. Instead, the activities were moved inside.  

"Last year it was outside," said 11-year-old Joslyn Feola. She said she enjoyed the run. "The racing is fun," Joslyn said. She said she's a pretty good runner, but had taken a little break  from playing a game of "switch" at the time of this conversation, because she was too hot. 

"I don't think I've ever seen the kids this happy," said Yvette Miles, art teacher at the Boys and Girls Club.  "They're meeting new people, this is great."

The extra volunteers—most of them young professionals—who came in for the annual PwP event have a positive influence on the kids, said Gary Greenberg, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club.

Meeting the volunteers gives the kids an opportunity to be around new role models, Greenberg said, adding: "I want these kids to become young professionals as well."    

More than 100 kids come to the center every day during the summer, said Greenberg. The Boys and Girls Club is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.  

The event "embodies everything that Party with Purpose is about," said Scott Delea, who founded the Hoboken-based non-profit seven years ago. "Kids, community, fundraising and having a great time." 

Party with Purpose's proceeds go to the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club and the Jubilee Center, Delea said. 

A pizza dinner awaited the children after the hour of playing in the gym. Volunteers from Walgreens helped serve the pizza, and hand out the water bottles. Although the pizzas were not donated, Walgreens provided goodie bags (one of the curious and not-so kid friendly items in the bag was a daily pill dispenser). 

For Delea it was all part of the day's larger purpose. "We're building connections," he said. "The kids know that people care about them."