Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • December 2, 2009 Mahwah District leads fundraising effort by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah school system has taken the lead in motivating school districts in Bergen County to support the non-profit Homes for Our Troops organization that builds homes for severely disabled veterans. The local effort has resulted in donations from those school districts of over $60,000 this year. Last year, about nine school districts participated in the fundraising effort and collected $27,000, mostly from Mahwah students and private citizens, according to Superintendent Charles Montesano, who advised that 35 school districts participated this year. Homes for Our Troops is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization that was founded in 2004 to help veterans who have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since Sept. 11, 2001. The organization built a handful of homes in its first two years as it worked to spread the word nationwide about its mission so it could raise the funds needed to meet the great need for hundreds of specially adapted homes for the country’s most severely injured heroes. Since then, the organization reports that it has grown into a highly rated, prominent, national non-profit organization that has built more than 40 homes through the end of 2008. During 2009, there are about 30 more homes in the process of being built. The organization relies on donations of funds, materials, and labor to build the homes. Montesano advised that the school district’s involvement began three years ago when a student, Matthew Kosch, decided he wanted to do something for the disabled veterans and his father, Kevin Kosch, a retired police officer, researched the Homes for Our troops organization and found it was included in the list of “Top-Rated Veterans & Military Charities” by the American Institute of Philanthropy, one of the country’s premier charity watchdog organizations. Only five of the 32 veteran’s charities rated by AIP are included in the top-rated category. Matthew then started a fundraiser to collect $1 from (continued on page 20) Helpful Hints Helpful Hints from ome “Heat loss is minimized by close fitting curtains and blinds that trap an insulating layer of still air”. 27 Franklin Tpk, Waldwick Open Sundays 9-3 201-652-5666 Racing for a cure Mary A. Tuttle of Mahwah recently celebrated her participation in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The 5K walk/ run breast cancer fundraising event was held in Central Park in New York City. Team Mary included Valorie Rittendale and Suzanne Cantwell. Hank Says... �������� ������� �������������� �������� ��������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ���������������������� ������������������������������ ���������������������������� ����������� �������� ������� ������������ �������������������������� ������������ �������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������ SPEND YOUR TRAINING $$$ WISELY! • EDUCATED - MA in exercise science • CERTIFIED - ACSM, NASM, Post Rehab Specialist, MAT Specialist �������������������������� ����������������������������������� Sheila Keane • EXPERIENCED - 15 years one-to-one personal training • QUALIFIED - to work with geriatric, bariatric, Parkinson’s as well as weight loss, fitness and wellness In your home or comfortable, private training facility Offering Muscle Activation Techniques ������������������������������������� Keane Fit & Wellness Ridgewood 201-488-4314 or 201-341-0183