August 17, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 9 Area Lakeland Bank, with branches in Wyckoff and throughout Bergen County, is a platinum sponsor of the 16th annual Bergen Bike Tour, to be held on Sunday, Sept. 25 at Darlington County Park in Mahwah. Proceeds benefit the Tomorrows Children’s Fund at Hackensack University Medical Center and the Volunteer Center of Bergen County. Tomorrows Children’s Fund was established by parents seeking help and relief for their desperately ill children, in association with physicians committed to providing the best possible care. The fund addresses the critical needs of families facing the anguish of childhood cancer by providing a healthy and loving atmosphere for children in treatment, a wide range of services to relieve emotional and financial stress, state-of-the-art medical care, and funding for research on childhood cancer and serious blood disorders. The Volunteer Center of Bergen County works with more than 600 public and private non-profit agencies in and around Bergen County that value and need the services of volunteers. The Volunteer Center links individuals, groups, organizations, and corporations with volunteer opportunities that fit their interests, abilities, schedules, and locations, Lakeland Bank sponsors Bergen Bike Tour; seeks riders while allowing them to make a difference in the community by addressing serious social concerns such as hunger, literacy, poverty, and the needs of children, the elderly, and those who are disabled. The Volunteer Center operates a home repair service for the elderly and disabled and sponsors two mentoring programs in which caring adults are friends, role models, and mentors to abused children and parents and families in need of guidance and support. Phil Murphy, chairman of the event, said, “We are especially pleased and excited that Lakeland Bank will be joining us to help make this year’s bike tour the most successful ever.” David Yanigasawa, executive at Lakeland Bank added, “We see firsthand the good work that Tomorrows Children and the Volunteer Center perform for the people in our community, and we are delighted to help them achieve their goals.” The Bergen Bike Tour will feature 50-, 25- and 10-mile routes for cyclists of every level. Plans are in the works for the special Kid’s Ride, which is a favorite with families, and the fun-filled barbecue and entertainment, which is typically enjoyed by more than 300 participants every year. The Bergen Bike Tour Steering Committee, comprised of CPAs, lawyers, bankers, and doctors, keeps expenses as low as possible in order to maximize net proceeds. “Each year, the bike tour turns over approximately 80 percent of the gross proceeds to the Volunteer Center and Tomorrows Children. This rate far surpasses many events of its kind. We are optimistic that with the help of the community and other companies like Lakeland Bank, we can exceed that in 2011,” Murphy said. “Mark your calendars for Sunday, Sept. 25. Registration is now open.” For further information about becoming a corporate sponsor, or organizing a group to participate in the Bergen Bike Tour, call 1-800-BER-BIKE, or visit www.bergenbiketour.org and register online. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and PBA Local 134 have partnered with Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon, Inc., a local nonprofit organization that sends care packages to U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Officers and cadets from BCSO’s Youth Law Enforcement Leadership Academy will sponsor a collection drive to benefit soldiers of the New Jersey National Guard’s 2-113th Infantry – SECFOR Platoon, whose 42 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan this spring. Donated goods will also go to two units of the 10th Mountain Division in Southern Afghanistan, which also recently deployed and consists Collection will benefit troops overseas of more than 300 soldiers. “We are excited to team up with Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon to provide much-needed supplies and care packages to our deployed troops,” Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino said. “These brave men and women have left behind their families and loved ones to defend our country. The least we can do is show them our gratitude and support by sending them some of the comforts of home.” “We are honored and proud to be working with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office. It’s a great fit since our (continued on page 23)