River Crossing YMCA Raises over $115,000 for Children and Families at 32nd Annual Comedy Night
FLEMINGTON - River Crossing YMCA hosted its 32nd Annual Comedy Night on Friday, November 22 at the Hunterdon Hills Playhouse in Hampton, New Jersey. With nearly 300 comedy fans in attendance, the event raised more than $115,000 for the YMCA’s financial assistance program. In addition to a silent auction, the event included a “Send a Kid to Camp” appeal which raised funds to provide financial assistance for over 100 children to attend YMCA day camp this summer.
“This year’s YMCA Comedy Night was another success for families of Hunterdon County,” said Jason Halpin, Chair of YMCA Comedy Night. “To raise more than $115,000 in one night demonstrates what we can do when we come together to support those in the community who need the Y the most. We are grateful to the sponsors, attendees and volunteers who made this event possible.”
Comics Erin Maquire and Tom Cotter entertained the crowd there to support the Y. Guest speakers included teens Nataly Jimenez and Ava Scorsone, who shared their learning and leadership experiences as YMCA Camp Carr (Annandale, NJ) counselors in training (CITs), and Jayden Battle, long-time counselor and assistant director at Camp Carr.
“Over the past 18 years I’ve been a camper, CIT, counselor and now assistant director at YMCA Camp Carr,” Battle shared at Comedy Night. “Camp taught me skills like being a leader, how to work with others, and how to make an impact on the world around me. I get to use those skills as assistant director to create equally great, if not better experiences for campers joining us this summer.”
River Crossing YMCA President/CEO Zane Moore took the opportunity to thank the captive audience for supporting the Y.
“Tonight is all about the kids. The Y creates millions of moments of impact because of your generosity. Programs like the free 7th Grade Membership Initiative and Send A Kid To Camp appeal impact hundreds of families throughout Hunterdon County, and create opportunities to engage kids and teens who otherwise could not have the Y in their lives. Thank you for being here to support them.”
River Crossing YMCA would like to thank this year’s sponsors for their commitment to the Hunterdon County community, with special thanks to the Title Sponsor Ameriprise - Three Bridges Wealth Advisors; Gold Sponsors FIT Wealth Management and Travis Electric; Silver Sponsors Fred Beans Automotive Group, Van’s Self Storage, and Tom and Jane LaMarca of Regional Court Apartments; and Bronze Sponsors Deloitte, Hunterdon Health, Andrew Cedarbaum Orthodontics, Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Quick Check, and WakeFern/Shoprite of Hunterdon County.
The Y has served Hunterdon County since 1903. It provides financial assistance for much needed programs including child care, summer camp, and swim lessons. The Y also sponsors important community programs like the Dolphins Special Olympics Swim Team and free Pathway Wellness programs for groups with specialized needs. Y programs touch the lives of thousands of Hunterdon County residents each year.
River Crossing YMCA (formerly YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties and Greater
Valley YMCA) is a charitable, nonprofit organization committed to strengthening communities through membership and programs that foster youth development,
healthy living and social responsibility for all. Annually, the Y serves over 142,000 members and participants at its 12 member branches, 13 early childhood centers, 20 summer camp locations and 37 school age child care programs. River Crossing YMCA provides over $12 million of community impact annually in the form of financial assistance to individuals and families in need and free programming for veterans, cancer survivors, older adults and more. To learn more visit ymcarivercrossing.org.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1: Nearly 300 supporters and comedy fans attended River Crossing YMCA’s Comedy Night on Nov. 22 at Hunterdon Hills Playhouse in Hampton, NJ, where the Y raised over $110,000 for financial assistance and community impact programs.
Photo 2: YMCA Camp Carr Assistant Director Jayden Battle, along with CITs Nataly Jimenez and Ava Scorsone, spoke about the importance Y camp has had in his learning life skills and leadership development, encouraging donors to give in support of future campers having the same opportunities.
Photo 3: River Crossing YMCA President/CEO Zane Moore spoke about the future of the Y in Hunterdon County, as well as the vital role YMCA camp and child care play in the healthy development of children and youth of the Hunterdon County community.