Carteret, NJ – At a Borough Council meeting held last Thursday, Mayor Dan Reiman presented Mayoral Commendations and circus tickets to 8 Carteret school children. These were the winners of the first “What Can I Do For My Community?” contest, established by Mayor Reiman’s Children’s Charity Trust Fund, to allow youngsters to exhibit their creative talents and demonstrate their interest in their community.
60 children participated in the contest, according to Reiman, from 3 public elementary schools and the Carteret Middle School. 1st place winners from each school received 4 tickets to the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Prudential Center in Newark, while 2nd place winners received 2 tickets. Categories included drawing, writing, poetry, and music.
According to Mayor Reiman, the contest was created to encourage school-aged children to think about the many ways in which they can participate in the improvement of their hometown, and to showcase creative abilities that might not otherwise have a venue for exhibition;
“There’s more to improving a town than large-scale redevelopment projects and capital improvements,” the Mayor stated. “Anyone who respects their community can help make their town better in a variety of ways. Many of our youngsters are conscious of this, and are also very artistic. Our charity’s contest provided a great opportunity for our school kids to show off their creative abilities, and communicate their concern for their community.”
The Mayor added that with so many quality entries from each school, choosing winners was a difficult process.
The Mayor’s Children’s Charity Trust Fund is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, established by Mayor Reiman in 2003 to provide Carteret’s children with a monetary resource for education, athletics, and health. The Trust Fund was created with the understanding that many children are often high achievers with great potential, and who with the proper financial support can establish their own paths to success.
To date, the Children’s Charity Trust Fund has raised over $150,000 towards scholarships, arts and culture, athletic programs, other charities, and a variety of programs and services that benefit local children. Such events have included the Children’s Charity Carnival, Christmas Festival, Charity Ball and Silent Auction, along with many other varying charity events.
By the end of this year, it is expected that the Mayor’s Children’s Charity Trust Fund will have raised over $200,000.
