Stroll ‘N Roll Sets Record-Breaking Year to Change the Lives of People with Disabilities
On Sunday, 460 people came out to support Kessler Foundation’s 12th Annual Stroll ‘N Roll at Verona Park. In total, $105,000 was raised to change the lives of people with disabilities through the Foundation’s rehabilitation research and funding of disability employment initiatives, the most ever raised in the event’s 12-year history.
“We are thrilled to have a record-breaking year in the attendance and dollars raised at Stroll ‘N Roll,” said Rodger DeRose, president and chief executive officer of Kessler Foundation. “Kids and adults, and even dogs, of all ages and abilities had a great time and raised awareness of the 56 million Americans with disabilities. As Stroll ‘N Roll is our signature community event, we’re very pleased with the results so we can continue changing the lives of people with disabilities. We look forward to next year.”
In addition to the stroll or roll around the lake at Verona Park, the day featured carnival games, face painting, balloon art and food from local vendors. The strollers and rollers were joined by Alex Munoz, a young man with a spinal cord injury (SCI) who took his first steps in Ekso—a robotic, battery-powered exoskeleton that enables individuals in wheelchairs to stand and walk. Kessler Foundation is studying how Ekso improves the mobility and overall health in individuals with SCI. Munoz completed a lap around the park in Ekso.
A DJ group from Pathways for Exceptional Children, a career mentorship program for young people with disabilities, based in Montville, N.J. and funded, in part, by Kessler Foundation, provided the music at Stroll ‘N Roll. The Bearfoot Dancers, Circle Time Live and recording artist Herve Gaspard performed. Local children volunteered their time to make and sell silly band bracelets, with proceeds benefiting Kessler Foundation. Participants tweeted and posted to Facebook, using the hashtag #StrollNRoll, to compete for door prizes. Dogs stopped at the Dog Stop for water, treats and toys. Information Alley featured exhibit booths from local businesses, sponsors and disability service representatives.
Special guests included Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey Maggie Redden, Assemblywoman Mila M. Jasey (D-27), Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (D-34), Montclair Mayor Robert D. Jackson, the North Jersey Navigators—an adaptive sports team for junior athletes with disabilities supported by Kessler Foundation—and Stroll ‘N Roll ambassadors Scott Chesney and Kevin Greene. Chesney, from Verona, was paralyzed at age 15. More than 20 years later, he’s a two time world traveler as a motivational speaker. He also participates in SCI research at Kessler Foundation to improve his mobility. On his 22nd birthday, Greene, from Kearny, was in a car accident that resulted in paralysis from the waist down and a brain injury. No longer able to do his normal heavy lifting work, he found a new career path, thanks to a laboratory technician training program supported by Kessler Foundation. Now, he manages a medical laboratory and participates in traumatic brain injury research studies at the Foundation.
Donations are still being accepted. Go to www.kesslerfoundation.org/SNR to donate online or call Kessler Foundation at 973-324-8362.
Stroll ‘N Roll was sponsored in part by Gibbons PC and Liz and David Lowenstein.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities.
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Contacts:
Lauren Scrivo, 973.324.8384, 973.768.6583 - c, [email protected]
Carolann Murphy, 973.324.8382, [email protected]
