Events set to benefit Katzenbach
EWING — Jersey’s Hope for Hearing will host three days of fun in October to benefit the Marie Katzenbach School for the Deaf, New Jersey’s only fully integrated school for the deaf.
The events begin Oct. 11, when the Family Karate Super Center on Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction hosts the second annual Carnival and Karate Kick-a-thon. The carnival opens at 4 p.m., with the Kick-a-thon beginning at 7 p.m., according to a news release. All proceeds benefit the school, which is facing budget problems.
A dinner gala and concert at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton will follow on Oct. 12.
Among the guests lending their support to the fundraising event will be Merrill Osmond, lead singer of the Osmonds, who will perform his “Bringing Music to Your Ears” concert with special guests. A VIP Meet and Greet and photo opportunities with the celebrities will be part of the festivities, which begin at 5 p.m.
Rounding out the fund-raising weekend will be a 5K run and Fall Festival, on Oct. 13, on the grounds of the Katzenbach School for the Deaf on Sullivan Way in Ewing. The 5K Run starts at 9:15 a.m., with a Kids Fun Run starting at 10:30 a.m. Music from the band “Of the Sea” will highlight the festival that follows.
The dinner gala is the highlight of a year-long fundraising effort for the Katzenbach School for the Deaf, the only statewide public school for the deaf and hard of hearing. The school is nearly 100 years old and in need of critical renovations.
Jersey’s Hope for Hearing’s goal is to raise enough money to establish an ongoing fund to purchase hearing aids for disadvantaged children who attend the school.
“Over the years, this great school has helped thousands of hearing-impaired children live better lives but because of a loss of funding they need our help,” said Donna Kelly of Jersey’s Hope for Hearing, the organization spearheading the fund-raising efforts.
Jersey’s Hope for Hearing has teamed up with the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, established by Justin Osmond, a second generation Osmond who is hard of hearing. The Osmonds, through the Osmond Foundation established by the family matriarch, Olive, and now the Olive Osmond Hearing Fund, have been committed to raising awareness to the needs of the deaf community.
Tickets for the dinner gala, concert as well as a silent auction at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton on Oct. 12 are $125 per person and can be purchased by calling 609 709-3950. For more information about all three events or to sign up to participate in the Kick-a-thon or 5K run, go to www.jerseyshopeforhearing.com.