Maplewood Duck Race is ON!

Maplewood’s Duck Race is ON!

Not the Duck Race we want but the Duck Race we need.

While Maplewood’s infamous Duck Race is unable to operate “in person”, it WILL still go on.

How? Through a virtual Duck Race on Memorial Day, Monday May 25th. 

Watch my chat with James Goodger, Executive Director of the South Mountain YMCA, Maplewood, NJ:

Here’s everything you need to know:

🎉 Visit the Y online now to get your tickets! Sponsor a duck at ANY level that’s right for you, with funds supporting the local economy as well as the Y’s essential programs. Donor family names will be written on ducks!

🎉 Join the Y for a virtual Duck Race on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. The race will be filmed once all ducks are sold and results will be announced on Memorial Day, Monday May 25 — tune in at 11am to South Mountain Y Facebook or YouTube Channel.

🎉 Amazing prizes!! First three ducks to cross the line win a socially distant visit from THE DUCK MASCOT. Top 10 ducks get to schedule a ‘Duck Zoom Bomb’ appearance (my personal favorite!!). And, EVERYONE who picks a duck will get an invite to the ‘Duck hunt’ where you’ll search for your duck and take home as part of our local history!

🎉 Where do the funds go? “Local businesses in Maplewood + South Orange have supported the Duck Race with sponsorships and race prizes for over 20 years, and now it’s our turn to give back to them. This year the Y will commit 25% of Duck Race proceeds to SOMA small businesses,” said James Goodger, District Executive Director of the South Mountain YMCA. 25% of proceeds to be donated to Maplewood Village Alliance, Springfield Avenue Alliance and the South Orange Village Center Alliance.

Chatting with James Goodger, ED of the South Mountain Y, at “Duck Headquarters” in Maplewood, NJ

SOMA Kids Feed Kids

SOMA Kids Feed Kids

Meet The Kerner family, organizers of SOMA Kids Feed Kids! Leslie, John, Joey (11), and Ben (9) Kerner are incredible role models in their community! SOMA Kids Feed Kids, based in South Orange NJ, is fighting food insecurity while teaching kids about community service. Over 60+ families help to provide shelf stable food to kids whose families are facing hunger, in partnership with Toni’s Kitchen in Montclair, NJ and the South Orange/Maplewood School District.

Meet the Kerners! Watch my video interview:

The Kerner Family, April, 2020, South Orange, NJ

All the IMPORTANT links:

Join the Facebook group.

Follow on Instagram.

Donate here to support this important cause.

Learn more about Toni’s Kitchen here.

Email somakidsfeedkids@gmail.com to get involved.

More pics of SOMA KIDS in action:

SOMA Intubation Box Project

SOMA INTUBATION BOX PROJECT

The people of Maplewood + South Orange, NJ continue to make an incredible difference!

From the SOMA Intubation Box Project’s Facebook post on May 2, “Please email us with any doctor, nurse, or hospital contacts who may be able to help us place boxes where they needed. We have been so grateful for donations which have covered $6000 worth of acrylic. Noah continues to build and we’re doing outreach and scheduling. We have many friends and volunteers helping and we thank you all!! If you are able to donate or volunteering to drive boxes to hospitals please email me directly: lydia@lydiajohnsondance.org”

So what is an intubation box and why are they being made?

I got to talk with Lydia Johnson and Noah Brauner, who started the SOMA Intubation Box Project about one month ago (from South Orange). Please watch this video to learn more about their amazing efforts in providing protection to our healthcare heroes. 

Watch the video —>

---

More images of the intubation boxes and deserving hospital workers who have received them!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

SOMA NJ 3D Printer Alliance: Two Teachers are #SOMAWESOME {Maplewood, NJ, South Orange, NJ}

These two South Orange Middle School (SOMS) teachers are #SOMAWESOME. #SOMAWESOME means super amazing, charitable humans in the Maplewood/South Orange community.

They are going above and beyond to make sure our front line workers are protected. 

Jake Ezzo (Chorus Director) and Brandon Hillman (Language Arts) are middle school educators by day, 3D face shield printers by night. They have single-handedly organized hundreds of local volunteers to print, assemble, and deliver over 12,000 face shields to physicians, nurses, and medical staff during this global pandemic.

Many of the volunteers are Ezzo and Hillman's SOMS students and families, as well as their friends and neighbors throughout Maplewood and South Orange. They are printing visor pieces on 3D printers (each piece takes one hour). Then they are assembling the visors with elastic and clasps, and then making sure they get into the right hands at medical facilities across NJ, NY, and PA. 

Watch video —>

View fullsize

Medical Staff Thank Volunteers

View fullsize

Volunteers of all ages help out

View fullsize

Volunteers of all ages help out

View fullsize

Jake delivers

View fullsize

When Ezzo and Hillman are not organizing this massive face shield effort, they are writing and composing songs (check this new one out!) to keep their students spirits up during this time.

Please take a minute to check out the links here and thank these teachers for being such incredible role models and citizens.

Join their Facebook group to help with assembly.
Follow their efforts on Instagram!

Donations greatly appreciated.

View fullsize

Jake Ezzo after a delivery at East Orange Hospital

View fullsize

Brandon Hillman assembling shields