Thanksgiving at Lunch Break was on Branches Catering in 2008. On Monday night, the West Long Branch facility hosts some three dozen restaurants to raise funds for the Red Bank soup kitchen.
This long-overdue edition of Done Good — a periodic rundown of what's happening locally in the realms of people helping people and their communities — has tons to choose from for readers looking to lend a hand in the coming week.
It includes a gourmet's-delight event on behalf of Norma Todd's Lunch Break in Red Bank; a beach cleanup and a riverfront cleanup; a swell affair at Garmany on behalf of cancer research; and an opportunity to re-tinge the town in the interest of women's health.
Here are some of the choices:
SATURDAY, April 25: Sweep the beach
Twice a year, Clean Ocean Action hosts beach cleanups that are as anthropological as they are sanitary, in that the waste picked up off the beaches is measured and cataloged as a gauge of how man's behavior. affects the sea's health.
This weekend's event, with cleanups all along the state's coastline, includes these locations:
- Sandy Hook - Parking Lot E – Site Sponsored by Wakefern Food Corp. ShopRite, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- Sea Bright (4 sites) – 1. Ferguson Beach, north of Rumson/Sea Bright Bridge; 2. Meet at Gaiter's Restaurant Oceanside; 3. Meet at Riverside Cafe (Mirasol Restaurant); 4. Meet at Public Beach parking lot - Site Sponsored by Monmouth County Association of Realtors
The cleanups start at 9a and end at 12:30p. For more details, see COA's beach sweeps page.
SATURDAY, April 25: Health fair at RBMS
Red Bank Middle School, that is, where the borough school district and Riverview Medical Center will put on free health screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI) and stroke assessments by Riverview medical staffers.
There will also be giveaways, refreshments, health information, and a Nintendo Wii tournament.
The event runs from 9:30a to 12:30p. Appointments may be made by calling 1.800.DOCTORS, but walk-ins are also welcome.
SUNDAY, April 26: Who wants pancakes?
The Greater Red Bank Kiwanis hosts a pancake and sausage breakfast to raise money for the Monmouth Day Care Center on Drs. Parker Boulevard in Red Bank.
The event will be held from 8a to noon at the day care center. Tickets will be sold at the door for $6 for adults and $4 for 14 & unders.
SUNDAY, April 26: Who wants MORE pancakes?
Annual Fair Haven Pancake Breakfast to raise money for breast cancer, hosted by the Fair Haven Scouts at the borough firehouse.
For more info, contact Paul Lenskold by email or at 732.576.1798.
MONDAY, April 27:
Thanksgiving 2008 at Norma Todd's Lunch Break was the work of John Lombardo and his crew from Branches Catering in West Long Branch. They supplied all the food and cooking.
On Monday night, the Red Bank Rotary will hold its 9th Annual Two Rivers Food and Wine Tasting at Branches. And for a second year in a row, proceeds will be donated to Lunch Break, which needs an extra heaping of help these days. The economy has boosted demand for meals at the soup kitchen by 20 percent, officials say.
Thirty-seven of central Jersey's finest dining establishments will donate food and wine, with Branches acting as the host facility. Red Bank eateries represented include Bistro at Red Bank, Buona Sera, Carlos O'Connor, Dish, Gaetano's, La Pastaria, Melting Pot, Molly Pitcher Inn, Oyster Point Hotel, Red and Siena Grille.
Tickets are $65 and are available at the Rotary website or by calling 732.933.9111. They'll also be sold at the door.
WEDNESDAY, April 29: Teens and HPV
Riverview Medical Center and Red Bank Middle School will host "HPV:
What Every Parent Needs to Know," a special educational presentation on human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical
cancer.
Sagar Y. Patel, an obstetrician and
gynecologist at Riverview, is the scheduled feature speaker.
The forum, which starts at at 6:30p in the school auditorium, is free and open to
the public. To register, call 1.800.DOCTORS.
THURSDAY, April 30: Fundraiser for cancer research
Fifteen Monmouth County mothers will be recognized for their
contributions to their communities, their professions and their families at this benefit for the American Cancer Society.
The event will be held the Garmany clothing store on Broad Street in Red Bank from 6:30p to 8:30. Garmany will donate ten percent of all sales made during the event.
Tickets cost $100. To buy some, call 732.706.0123, ext. 14.
Volunteers at last year's cleanup of the riverside lot.
SATURDAY, May 2: Whatchamacallit Park cleanup
Yes, we know it can't technically be called a 'park' — something to do with the absence of bathrooms and such.
But neither does it have a proper name, a situation that town officials are hoping to soon rectify.
What the borough-owned lot at the river end of Maple Avenue in Red Bank does have, though, is a group of volunteers who for the second year in a row plan to come out with rakes, shovels and a willingness to sweat in an effort to rid it of debris. They could use some extra help, though.
The effort runs from 11a to 2p, and includes children's activities and discovery walks. Refreshments, trash bags and work gloves will be provided. Boots should be worn, and yard tools are welcome.
The rain date is Sunday, same time. For more info, email Cindy Burnham.
SATURDAY, May 2: Paint the Town Pink
Also known as 'Pink Bank,' the third annual edition of this popular downtown promotion-slash-breast cancer awareness effort promises to brighten Red Bank's rather gloomy business district with a blitz of girlish pink. Stores go crazy trying to outdo each other, much to the entertainment of shoppers.
This year, Paint the Town Pink hits its pink peaks with a series of events that include a 'Spring into Pink' shopping tour; a family day at Riverview dubbed 'Paint Everything Pink;' a screening of 'Pretty in Pink;' a 'Girls Night Out' and an evening with breast cancer patient Dana Cowin, editor in chief of Food & Wine magazine.
Check out the event website for more information.
SATURDAY, May 2: Littoral walk on the sand
The American Littoral Society will celebrate the coast with an open house and field day at its headquarters on Sandy Hook from 10a to 3p.
The program, designed to appeal to families with kids of all ages, includes hikes led by expert naturalists to explore the rich and varied coastal habitat and wildlife on Sandy Hook, as well as activities for kids and adults focused on current issues and science impacting the coast.
Admission is $5 for per persons aged 13 and up and free for kids 12 and under. Advance registration is not required but a phone call or email will help establish a headcount. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Participants should bring a picnic lunch, lawn chairs and/or blankets.
Phone 732.291.0055 or email for additional information.
