The Community Chest to Celebrate Spring With Annual Gathering Coming Together as a Community

The Community Chest will hold the 2017 Annual Spring Gathering on Wednesday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Country Club, located at 188 Knickerbocker Road in Tenafly, New Jersey. Emmy award winning Lori Stokes, anchor of Eye Witness News ABC TV, will officiate at the annual fundraiser. The gathering will present a benefit auction and raffle. The net proceeds will be used to meet the pressing issues of people in need in eastern Bergen County.

Stokes, a Bergen County resident, has reported on almost every major news story over the past two decades. She is involved with numerous charity organizations and has served on The Chest's board of managers.

"This event is a very important part of The Chest's work in our community, especially with the implementation of our strategic plan and the expansion of our work to other areas of eastern Bergen County. Each year, we use this opportunity to bring together people in our community. We urge neighbors and friends to join us in celebrating our grantees' great work and the volunteers, who give their time generously to The Community Chest," said Richard Kennedy, President, The Community Chest's Board of Managers.

Young People's Chorus

Forty children from The JCC Thurnauer School of Music's Young People's Chorus, a grantee of The Chest, will perform a program of inspirational songs. "We are delighted to have the Chorus return and perform at the Annual Spring Gathering. Performing in the chorus helps the children develop teamwork, an appreciation for music, and a variety of academic skills associated with learning, e.g. math and literacy," said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, Executive Director, The Community Chest.

Live Auction and Raffle

A range of products will be available to bid upon in the live auction with noted auctioneer Nick Dawes from Antiques Road Show. Among the items available to bid upon are a Saturday night tennis party, tickets to Hamilton and dinner at Lattanzi Restaurant in New York City, a children's cooking birthday party at LeGourmet Factory, a golf foursome at Knickerbocker Country Club, and a 2012 vintage Pappy Van Winkle's Bourbon. The raffle will offer an assortment of large, elaborate gift baskets with various items.

Help People in Eastern Bergen County

With the motto "Neighbors Helping Neighbors", The Chest's mission is to lead initiatives and support nonprofits that make communities stronger and benefit the people of eastern Bergen County, New Jersey. The evening's theme, “Coming Together as a Community”, is designed to fulfill the founders' mission more than 80 years ago. Their vision was to fill a chest with individuals and businesses' generous contributions and to empty its contents by awarding grant funds to support worthy projects led by local nonprofits. In 2016, The Chest awarded a record $200,000 in grants and this year, the organization seeks to exceed that amount.

Tickets

The cost per ticket is $175 per patron, $250 for a benefactor, and $1,500 for a table of 10. Cocktails and a buffet dinner will be served. Registration may be completed online or by sending a check made out to The Community Chest, located at 122 South Van Brunt Street, Englewood, New Jersey 07631.

Sponsors

To date, the 2017 contributors for the gathering by sponsorship levels are: Gold-The Kamson Corporation; Silver-Antin, Ehrlich & Epstein (Jill and Scott Epstein), Bank of NJ, Connect One Bank, DecoTech, Armando and Dawn Diaz, and PBM (Scott and Tammy Mager); Bronze-BMW of Tenafly, Boyd Richards, P.L., CBRE, Cole Schotz, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Joe and Judy Klyde, Otterstedt Insurance Agency, Ridgeco, Stop & Shop, Jayanne Tedesco, Valley National Bank, Visions Federal Credit Union, and Loren, Jennifer, Sam and Juliette Wimpfheimer.

Friend sponsors are Broadway Kitchens & Baths, Floor and Décor, Kent Builders Management, LLC, Lakeland Bank, Regent Atlantic, RSK Associates, Wolfgang's Inc., WRBC Charitable Foundation on behalf of Clermont Specialty Managers, and Zestt. In-kind contributors are Annette and Peter Corbin and LeGourmet Factory.

Sponsorships are still available for individuals and businesses, offering various marketing opportunities and the recognition of this philanthropic involvement by The Community Chest's large number of supporters. For further information about The Chest, the annual gathering, and sponsorship opportunities, visit the organization's web site or contact (201) 568-7474.