Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • May 14, 2014 Villadom Socials Julia Merz to wed McConnell Award Happy birthday! Family and friends recently gathered to celebrate Midland Park resident Henrietta ‘Hummy’ Klopman’s 90th birth- day. Pictured are the guest of honor (seated) with her sis- ters Minnie Siegers of Midland Park (left) and Jean ‘Jennie’ Marcus of Wyckoff (right). Animal shelter (continued from page 14) of others find homes by working with other rescues. The shelter has a trainer on staff who works with staff and vol- unteers to rehabilitate animals with many different stories. Sponsors for this project include B. Garcia Designs; Wigzi; Shaun Killman Design and Fabrication; Atlas Desk Office Furniture & Services; Petropics - Tiki Cat, Tiki Ken and Jennifer Merz of Allendale have announced the engagement of their daughter, Julia Paige Merz, to Joshua Lee Westbrook, son of David and Teri West- brook of Greenfield, Massachusetts. The bride-to-be is a 2008 graduate of Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale. She graduated from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn- sylvania in 2012 with a degree in English and psychol- ogy and a minor in French. She is currently an editorial assistant at Rodale Books. Her fiancé, also a 2012 graduate of Lehigh Univer- sity, majored in computer engineering. He is employed by Da Vinci Concepts as a software engineer. The couple resides in Bethlehem. A September wed- ding is planned. Dog; Zeigler’s Distributor; Amarillo Grilling; Boards and Beams Wood Products; Cirino Construction; 1-800-Pet- Meds; Home Hardware and Supply; Bella Casa Floor and Home Fashions; Rated R Band; Zumba instructor Crystal Gaynor; Ricciardi Brothers; and City Space Design and Build, Inc. Donations to RBARI’s Save the Caged project may be made at http://www.crowdrise.com/savethecaged. Anyone interested in adopting a cat or dog or learning more about RBARI and how to help, may visit www.rbari.org, call the shelter at (201) 337-5180, or visit the shelter. (continued from page 14) necessary specialty care, diagnostic testing, surgery, and other medical interventions at little or no cost to the patient. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act, BVMI’s medical experts anticipate that thousands of working resi- dents in Bergen County who fall within 100 to 300 per- cent of federal poverty levels will still be unable to afford health insurance, and will need BVMI’s free services for years to come. The Excellence in Medicine Awards ceremony will take place June 6-8 at the Annual Meeting of the Ameri- can Medical Association. As part of the award, the AMA Foundation will grant $2,500 to BVMI in appreciation for Dr. Cassell’s leadership. “Sam Cassell is absolutely untiring,” said Dr. Earl Wheaton, a colleague who was part of the creation of BVMI. “He showed us that the need was great. While we live in a relatively affluent county, there is a large popula- tion of under-served people, many of them immigrants who work in the service sector yet live in poverty and have no health insurance. Despite many challenges, he persisted, and pulled together an unstoppable community effort. He single-handedly created a momentum that convinced the major medical centers to join us in this initiative, and was the force behind critical corporate support and fundrais- ing. Sam was also the primary recruiter of volunteer phy- sicians to serve the center, and he clearly took to heart the culture of caring; he made sure that those of us who joined him from the earliest days knew that his vision was to pro- vide the best possible care to those in need.” BVMI Board Chair and former president and CEO of Valley Hospital Michael Azzara, noted, “Dr. Cassell’s accomplishment in creating Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative is nothing short of remarkable -- and inspira- tional. After his distinguished medical career, he decided it was time to do something of significant value in helping others and make a difference. He learned of the work of Dr. Jack McConnell who established the first Volunteers in Medicine health center and used that model to create BVMI. He was on a mission, in the best sense of the word, and enlisted friends, donors, legislators, and community leaders to transform an idea into reality. He was unrelent- ing, passionate, and convincing and many of us had no choice but to get on board and support this worthwhile mission. The obstacles were many and complex but it was his tenacity and leadership which made the difference.” Holy Name Hospital President and CEO Michael Maron joined colleagues in endorsing Cassell’s nomination. “As a hospital CEO, I know many physicians and their work, and I feel confident in characterizing Dr. Cassell as espe- cially distinguished in the area of medical volunteerism. He is a doctor in the complete sense of the word, espous- ing BVMI’s care philosophy which, in addition to physical illness, addresses ‘injury caused by bias, prejudice, and indifference.’ For Dr. Cassell, health care means more than pharmaceuticals, testing, and sutures; it is a matter of social justice.” Dr. Cassell transitioned out of the leadership of BVMI’s board after the opening of the center, and he continues to serve as an active member of the board, a member of the Medical Services Committees, a key recruiter of vol- unteer talent, an active fundraiser, and a valued medical consultant.