June 5, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 27 Lakeland Bank employees recently donated more than $2,900 to support Autism Speaks, the world’s largest autism science and advocacy organization. Autism Speaks was nominated by Lakeland Bank employees as one of their charities of choice for the company’s monthly “Jeans Day” fundraiser. The Jeans Day program encourages employees to wear jeans on Friday in exchange for a minimum charitable donation of $10 a month. “I am especially proud that the generous support of our employees will have an impact in our northern New Jersey communities for those families dealing with this complex disorder,” said Thomas J. Shara, president and chief executive officer of Lakeland Bank. Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 and remains devoted to its mission to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. Since its inception, Autism Speaks has made enormous strides, committing over $160 million to research and developing innovative new resources for families. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. To learn more, visit www.autismspeaks.org. Lakeland Bancorp, the holding company for Lakeland Bank, has an asset base of approximately $2.9 billion and 46 offices spanning six northern New Jersey counties: Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren. Lakeland Bank offers an extensive array of consumer and commercial products and services, including online banking, localized commercial lending teams, and 24-hour-or-less turnaround on consumer loan applications. For more information about the full line of products and services, visit LakelandBank.com. Lakeland employees support Autism Speaks Lakeland Bank employees Martha Newbold, Riti Patel, Bobbie-Jo Corey, Tiffany Schaffer, and Samantha Paulding with the check for Autism Speaks. (Photo courtesy of Lakeland Bank.)