33 WASHINGTON STREET
TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY 08753
732-341-1000 EX. 8490
Chairperson Coordinator
September 10, 2007
ATT: ALL MEDIA
FROM: Helen McGovern, Deputy Coordinator
Dear Editor:
Please read the release below. Please print and broadcast previews and PSA’s. Kindly send a reporter and photographer for coverage of this event. Note that this is a very popular and well-attended FREE picnic and welcomes a huge cross-section of the community. We expect another large audience this year.
Thank you.
Helen McGovern
******************PRESS RELEASE********************
TOMS RVER ALLIANCE TO HOST PICNIC FOR TOWNSHIP’S KIDS AND FAMILIES
The 2007 C.A.S.A.- Alliance Picnic will be held rain or shine on Sunday, September 30th, at Winding River Park Area 1 (a sheltered area) in Toms River. The event will run from 11 AM to 3 PM and admission is free. Food service will be from 12 Noon to 2 PM. Toms River elementary schoolchildren and their immediate families are invited to attend and telephone registration is required. The number to call is (732) 341-1000 x 8490, Monday through Friday 9 AM to 1 PM. Callers may speak with an Alliance employee or leave information on the answering machine. Registrants must leave their full name, phone number, number of children in the party, the name of their elementary school, and the number of adults attending as well.
Hotdogs, salads, chips, and soft drinks will be served. A carnival-style popcorn cart and an ice cream truck will be on site to disseminate free treats for the children. Each elementary age child in attendance will be given a free raffle ticket to participate in the drawing for a variety of age-appropriate toys, games, and books. Children may participate in craft-making, have their faces painted, and play a variety of organized games.
Communities Against Substance Abuse, Inc., (C.A.S.A.) and The Dover Township Municipal Alliance co-sponsor this picnic with the assistance of many volunteers. T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) students from the district’s high schools, will coordinate games, crafts, activities, and assist with food service. Adult volunteers from The Alliance and C.A.S.A. will set up and break down the event, coordinate deliveries, man the registration table, and disseminate substance abuse prevention materials.
Alliance Coordinator, Chuck Bodo stated, “Our grant monies are limited, but as always, we have stretched every dollar and gathered as many volunteers as possible in order to stage a picnic this size. We have put the word out once again to local businesses and asked for their assistance with donations of food items and gift certificates so that we may purchase enough food, paper products, and other picnic necessities to bolster our budget. They have always been generous.” Bodo added, “Our programs and services are offered free to all community members. We get support from the business community because they understand what we are doing here.”
C.A.S.A. and the Alliance often coordinate their substance abuse prevention efforts within the community. Alliance Deputy Coordinator Helen McGovern stated, “We work together on this project so that families have a chance to do something together that might not otherwise be in their budget.” She added, “Family unity, neighbors meeting neighbors, a community coming together to have fun in this kind of atmosphere teaches our kids and grown-ups great things. They learn that we can have fun without drugs and alcohol, they make new friends, and learn about our community as a whole. Last year, more than 400 people attended this picnic. The turnout was terrific.”
The Toms River Township Municipal Alliance receives funding through the Ocean County Health Department’s Municipal Alliance Program and the Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Its monies are used to promote substance abuse prevention, education and awareness, and address those issues that put community members at risk. Information and referrals for assistance can be had by calling the Alliance office at (732) 341-1000, weekdays. The Alliance services residents in all age categories and does not charge a fee for its service or for admission to community events. It also sponsors other large Township events like The Older Adult Health Fair and Picnic, Family Day, programs within the District’s schools and Ocean’s Harbor House.