Hawthorne Local 200 revered
for community contributions
Hawthorne Local 200 was honored as
the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce
Members of the Year on Jan. 29 at Macaluso’s restaurant in front of more than 300
supporters, business owners, politicians,
family and friends.
The Chamber of Commerce valued the
Local’s tireless commitment to the residents of Hawthorne and its relentless
effort to give back to the community.
“It was nice to receive the accolade,”
recognized State Delegate Benjamin
Veenema. “In this climate, it’s not often
that we get positive things said about us,
so we appreciated it.”
Veenema credited the Local’s uniqueness in wanting to go the extra mile, in
that most members within the department grew up in the town they serve.
“We know each other and each other’s
families, so everyone feels a part of the
community and now we have the opportunity to give back,” confirmed Veenema.
Members make a significant effort
throughout the year to do just that. Every
year the Local presents scholarships and
youth sports sponsorships while also conducting fundraising efforts.
The Christmas “Shop with a Cop” event
is a favorite for members, who fundraise
to take children in need on a shopping
spree to Toys “R” Us, where a dozen or so
children purchase the season’s most coveted items with the officers’ help before
having breakfast with Santa Claus.
In August 2015, the Local partnered
with the Pink Hat Campaign for its first
clambake to raise funds for breast cancer
research. The members wore pink hats
during patrol and sold supporter hats to
raise more than $4,000 for the cause.
During the awards presentation, the
State Sen. Robert Gordon presents a proclamation to Hawthorne Local 200, which was honored as
Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce Members of the Year on Jan. 29.
Local took the opportunity to address the
crowd and asked for further assistance to
help a 9-year-old girl in town suffering
from an inoperable brain tumor.
“We asked everyone to stop by our
table and contribute,” noted Veenema.
“One of our members, Joe Digeronimo,
won the 50/50 and donated all of that
back, so we were able to raise more than
$1,000 to assist her and her family.”
During the evening, Rep. William
Pascrell presented a proclamation to the
Local on behalf of the U.S. Congress, as
did Sen. Robert Gordon on behalf of the
State Senate. Mayor Richard Goldberg
also honored the Local on behalf of the
Borough of Hawthorne during the
evening.
“We always appreciate Rep. Pascrell.
He’s a local guy who grew up in the town
next door and he’s always been propolice,” acknowledged Veenema. “We
enjoy a great working relationship with
the town and the borough administration
and are truly appreciative of the kind
words we received.” d
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FEBRUARY 2016
57