BlueClaws Charities Announces 2018 Grant Recipients

BlueClaws Charities announced the 39 different organizations to receive a grant as part of their 2018 grant distribution. 
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LAKEWOOD, NJ - BlueClaws Charities completed their 10th annual grant distribution by handing out grants to 39 area organizations, it was announced on Monday.
BlueClaws Charities Community Partner organizations, all 501c3s that work with the BlueClaws throughout the year, were eligible to apply for a grant and all organizations that applied for a grant received one.
Each applicant was asked to detail a specific use for the grant, with the requirement that all money received from BlueClaws Charities stays in Ocean & Monmouth Counties. A complete list can be found below.
"We are very proud to be support such a wide variety of local organizations that do tremendous work as part of the non-profit community around the Jersey Shore," said Jim DeAngelis, BlueClaws Charities Executive Director. "These organizations are on the ground working with the underserved in our communities, doing spectacular work.
"Further, it is important that all of the grant money donated by BlueClaws Charities stays here in Ocean and Monmouth Counties," said DeAngelis. " It is an honor for BlueClaws Charities to be able to assist these great groups doing their work in our local community."
The following organizations received grants:
- ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia - to subsidize the cost of services for people living with ALS who reside in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
- Alzheimer's Association - to provide services to people living with Alzheimer's and their families.
- The Arc, Ocean County Chapter - to provide funding to the Arc programs that support 1,500 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in residential, vocational, and recreation services throughout the community.
- The Ashley Lauren Foundation - to assist children with cancer and their families through direct family financial assistance.
- Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Ocean County - to continue community mentorship programs in Ocean County.
- Boy Scouts of America, Jersey Shore Council - to provide direct support to the Scoutreach Cub Scout pack at the Clark Elementary School in Lakewood.
- The Brodie Fund - to continue their mission of offering financial assistance to families that have pets fighting cancer.
- Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey - to help defray the cost of criminal background checks completed on all volunteers prior to assignments.
- Cheer Dream Scoliosis Foundation - to enhance the equipment for their special needs team.
- David's Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation - to offer financial assistance and wellness services to families affected by a cancer diagnosis.
- Dottie's House - to provide essential counseling to families to become self-sufficient in their futures.
- Easterseals New Jersey - to teach individuals living with disabilities and special needs and their families about health, nutrition, and exercise education.
- Exit 82 Theatre Company - to assist in their 2019 production season.
- Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore - to fund the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore's outreach program in Ocean County.
- Go 4 The Goal - to support the Kart 4 Kids, a kart stocked with snacks, gift cards, toys, activities, and electronics to entice kids of all ages.
- Guidinglight House - to provide funding for program services for homeless female veterans.
- HABcore, Inc - to help fund the supportive services program component of HABcore's Rapid Re-Housing Program in Ocean County.
- JAR of Hope - to fund research in the hope of eliminating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
- Kids Need More - to enhance the lives of children and their families dealing with a diagnosis of cancer or life threatening illness.
- LADACIN Network - to support their Child Care and Preschool Program which integrate children with and without disabilities.
- Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund - to provide funds to assist in aiding and assistant wounded warriors and their families.
- The Mya Lin Terry Foundation - to support their Holiday Gifting Campaign to benefit pediatric cancer warriors.
- Northern Ocean County Habitat for Humanity - to provide necessary repairs and modifications to a senior's home through their Aging in Place program.
- Ocean County Family Support Organization - to offset the costs of trips for their Youth Partnerships Program.
- Ocean County Shrine Club - to expand and upgrade the hospital's Walk-in and Urgent Pediatric Fracture Clinic.
- Ocean County YMCA - to support kids, families, and seniors through the Y-Cares Financial Assistance Program such that they will be able to benefit from membership regardless of their financial resources.
- Ocean's Harbor House - to replace aging computers in their Emergency Youth Shelter.
- Ocean Partnership for Children - to provide needed equipment for the agency's consulting psychiatrist to use with the youth being seen, as well as to provide books, sensory materials, and toys for the waiting room and psychiatrist's meeting space.
- Piece of the Puzzle - to produce a Corner Cafe vocational curriculum for students with autism.
- Parents of Autistic Children - to provide a challenger sports league designed to offer a socialization opportunity between disabled students along with typically developing peers from across Ocean and Monmouth Counties.
- Probation Association of New Jersey Education Fund - to enhance education training opportunities through the operation of their annual training conference.
- Raising Hope for Others - to offset the cost of their August fundraiser.
- RJM Sportsgroup - to help raise money for scholarships for students who belong to the Jackson School District.
- The Salvation Army of Ocean County - to help fund their weekly soup kitchen meal, which serves 50-100 meals each week.
- Seabrook Village - to provide scholarships to eligible student employees who graduate high school and are participating in a form of higher education.
- Society for Prevention of Teen Suicide - support Ocean County Youth Council programming for the 2018-19 academic year by engaging youth ambassadors in the prevention process and working on suicide prevention projects.
- The TEARS Foundation - to provide assistance to families who have lost a child due to pregnancy or infant loss in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
- Tom Giannattasio Jr. Memorial Fund - to provide scholarships to graduating seniors residing in Brick Township.
- United Way of Monmouth & Ocean Counties - to purchase warm clothing for low-income children.
Money is raised for BlueClaws Charities throughout the year including through a nightly 50/50 raffle at all BlueClaws home games, special jersey auctions, and events like the Nine and Dine golf outing.
BlueClaws Charities, in addition to this grant program, supports hundreds local organizations and fundraising events with gift package donations, golf outing hole-in-one sponsorships, and specialty organizations such as OCEAN, Inc., a federal program that assists the less fortunate in the community. The "Tickets for Kids Program," another BlueClaws Charities initiative, donates over 2,000 tickets to under-served youths in Lakewood and elsewhere in Ocean County.
Other events hosted by BlueClaws Charities include a Challenger Clinic for the developmentally disabled, a food & toy drive during the holiday season, a school supply drive leading into the fall, and baseball camps for the underserved in conjunction with the MLB Players Association.
Organizations that would like to become Community Partners can call Jim DeAngelis at 732-901-7000 ext 114. Space in the program, which includes both fundraising and promotional opportunities, is limited and those interested are encouraged to contact the BlueClaws as soon as possible.
The BlueClaws are the Jersey Shore's top stop for affordable, family entertainment. In 2018, the team debuted a brand-new nine-hole Family Mini Golf Course, Biergarten, and Home Run Pavilion (boardwalk game area) as part of a major renovation to FirstEnergy Park.
2019 ticket packages and group outings are currently on sale by calling 732-901-7000 option 3 or online at BlueClaws.com.
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