Rockaway Townsquare to Host 27th Annual Gooch's Garlic Run to Benefit Ailing Children

            The parking lot at Simon’s Rockaway Townsquare will be humming on Wednesday, June 18, as more than 2,000 motorcyclists prepare to embark on the 27th Annual Gooch’s Garlic Run, a 30-mile ride to raise money for local children with physical disorders and catastrophic illnesses and their families. The yearly event is organized by members of the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, New Jersey Chapter IX.

            Pre-ride activities at Rockaway Townsquare will include food, music and more. On-site registration begins at 4:30 p.m., and the ride gets under way at 6:30 p.m. sharp. A full police escort will accompany the throngs of riders, who will depart from the parking lot at Rockaway Townsquare, located at Route 80 and Mount Hope Avenue, travel along Routes 80 and 280 to McCarter Highway/Route 21 and finally culminate at Ferry Street in the Ironbound section of Newark. (In the case of inclement weather, Gooch’s Garlic Run will be rescheduled to Wednesday, June 25.)

            During the event’s two-decades-long history, the overwhelming support and generosity of local riders and contributors have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, helping numerous New Jersey families. Proceeds from this year’s ride will benefit the following recipients:

            · Lilly Beth Batche of Lake Hopatcong, NewJersey, is three-years-old. Lilly, diagnosed with a Wilms’ Tumor, is being treated at Children’s Hospital of Phildelphia and Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Lilly Beth underwent Kidney surgery on April 30th of this year to remove cancerous tumors. She is at home recuperating and is being cared for by her mother, Kristi.

            · Logan Robert Wagner, almost three-years-old, is the son of Jennifer and Keith. Logan suffers from a rare chromosome duplication which comes with serious medical complications. The family lives in Boonton, New Jersey with their three sons, Logan, Colby, 6, and Cameron, 5. For additional information visit Logan’s website at www.loganstrisomy16.weebly.com.

            · Sebastian Carlo Barreda just turned one-year-old on May 9, 2014. Sebastian was born premature with under developed lungs and spent many months in hospitals on a ventilator with chronic lung disease. Sebastain lives with his parents, Samantha and Nery in Hillside, New Jersey.

            “For many years, Rockaway Townsquare has been a proud supporter of Gooch’s Garlic Run,” said Paul Crociata, Mall Manager for Rockaway Townsquare. “We invite our shoppers and the local community to join us in rallying around this worthy cause and help make this year’s event the biggest and best one ever.”

            All motorcyclists are invited to participate. Pre-registration is $15 per motorcycle; on-site registration on event day is $20 per motorcycle. To learn more about Gooch’s Garlic Run, call the BKNJIX hotline at 973-729-4072 or visit www.bknjix.org, where participants can also pre-register online. Donations also will be accepted in care of Al “Gooch” Monaco, 819 Limecrest Road, Newton, NJ 07860.  (Checks should be made payable to “Blue Knights NJ IX.”