Making Strides of Parsippany Marks 30th Year, Raises More Than $330,000 for Breast Cancer Fight
Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor Pulkit Desai and Council President Judy Hernandez gather with students from Parsippany Hills High School at the starting line. The PHHS Cheerleaders team raised $500 for this year’s walk.
PARSIPPANY — On Sunday, October 25, Parsippany was once again awash in pink as walkers, survivors, families and corporate teams gathered at the Century Office Campus, 4 Century Drive, for the 30th Annual American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk. The noncompetitive walk stepped off at 8:00 a.m., raising funds for breast cancer research, education and patient support.
Melissa Gargantiel, Senior Development Manager for the American Cancer Society, welcomes walkers from the stage at the 30th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk at the Century Office Campus.
As of Monday, October 26, $330,195 had been raised toward this year’s campaign goal of $550,000, about 60 percent of the target. Donations are still being accepted by clicking here.
Seton Hall Dancers Members of Parsippany-Troy Hills Fire District 6, joined by the GEICO Gecko, gather near the start line at the 30th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk. The firefighters provided support for the thousands of walkers at the Century Office Campus.Team Marotta, dressed head to toe in pink, poses with a pink Lexus before stepping off at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk. Marotta, a sponsor of this year’s event, raised $4,087, ranking fifth among corporate teams.Breast cancer survivor Joan Van Soest of Montville smiles at the start line of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk. Cancer-free for more than 25 years, Van Soest hosts the annual Zumba for the Cure in Parsippany and was recognized as a Bronze Pacesetter this year, raising $7,056.
Top Teams Step Up
The Fighting Champions led all teams this year, raising more than $23,000, up from their second-place finish last year. The top ten teams were:
The Fighting Champions — $23,156
Hanna’s Bananas Powered by Toyota — $12,401
LEXUS EASTERN DRIVES FOR A CURE — $12,187
The Pink Striders — $10,258
Summit Financial — $8,182
Jen’s Amazing Warriors! — $8,087
Rising to the Challenge — $7,222
Team Hope — $7,062
Connell Foley LLP — $6,907
Garrity Gals — $6,145
Christian Aracena, owner and agent of GEICO Morris Plains, gives a thumbs-up alongside the GEICO Gecko at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk. At left, a member of the LEXUS EASTERN DRIVES FOR A CURE team, which raised $12,187 and finished third among all teams.
Top Individual Fundraisers Recognized
The following individuals were recognized for their leadership and generosity:
Fran Saliter — Gold Pacesetter: $16,912
Sylvia G. Samaniego — Gold Pacesetter: $10,258
Joan Van Soest — Bronze Pacesetter: $7,056
Emily Gencarelli Cooper — Bronze Pacesetter: $7,012
Michael R. Szmidt — Bronze Pacesetter: $6,440
Susan Donaldson — Bronze Pacesetter: $6,243
Dayana Peck — Pacesetter: $4,096
Alta For the Cure — Pacesetter: $4,091
Briana O’Handley — Pacesetter: $3,906
Rikin Patel — Pacesetter: $3,887
Representatives of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, a sponsor of this year’s walk, greet participants at their booth at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk. The booth offered free gifts for Horizon members and a sweepstakes for a stuffed Under Armour backpack.Wegmans Food Markets, a sponsor of this year’s walk, kept participants fueled with baskets of clementines and snacks at its pink-draped tent at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk.Marotta employees staff the company’s booth at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk, sharing information on internship and co-op opportunities and the company’s valves headed back to the moon. Marotta, a sponsor of this year’s walk, raised $4,087, ranking fifth among corporate teams.
Corporate Teams Make an Impact
Local and regional companies contributed significantly to the fundraising total, showcasing corporate responsibility and community commitment:
Toyota Motor North America — $12,401
Lexus Eastern Area — $12,187
Atlantic Health — $8,467
Langan — $5,802
Marotta — $4,087
Cintas Corporation — $3,483
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts — $2,464
Gilead Parsippany — $1,664
Yoga Six — $1,521
Bausch Health — $1,493
The event is organized locally by Melissa Gargantiel, Senior Development Manager for the American Cancer Society. With donations continuing to come in, organizers expect the total to keep climbing in the coming weeks as the community works toward the $550,000 goal. Last year’s walk raised $377,936 by event day toward a $535,000 goal.
Making Strides is the nation’s largest movement to end breast cancer as we know it. Funds raised help the American Cancer Society save more lives from breast cancer by funding innovative research, promoting education and risk reduction, and providing comprehensive support to patients who need it most.
For more information, contact Melissa Gargantiel at (800) 227-2345 or [email protected].
Anthony Thomas, President of the Kiwanis Club of Caldwell-West Essex, joins Frank Cahill, Publisher of Parsippany Focus and President of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Parsippany walk. Thomas’s button promotes Voices of Black Women, the American Cancer Society’s research study focused on Black women’s health. Behind them, a walker in an inflatable pink cow costume carries a “Holy Cow, Let’s Find a Cure!” sign.This year’s walk was supported by Atlantic Health, BASF, Lexus, Toyota, Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace, Tilcon, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Gilead, Wegmans, Oncology and Hematology Specialists, Marotta, NJM Insurance Group, Spiro Plastic Surgery, GAF, Delta Dental, Princeton Radiology, Alliance Orthopedics, Zelis, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Cancer Institute, Penske, Herr’s, Bausch Health and Parsippany Focus.
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Publisher of Parsippany Focus since 1989 and Morris Focus since 2019, both covering a wide range of events. Mr. Cahill serves as the Executive Board Member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce, Governor NJ District Kiwanis International, and Chairman of the Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic Development Advisory Board.
