Bergen Bike Tour - TODAY!

Come out to the Bergen Bike Tour today, Sunday, September 29 at Darlington Park, Mahwah.  Our 50 mile riders begin at 8:00am, and then we have a 25 mile and a 10 mile ride for adulrts and a Kids' Ride for children under 10 sponsored by TD Bank.

So grab your bike and your helmet and ride for two local charities, Tomorrows Childrens' Fund and the Volunteer Center of Bergen County.

www.bergenbiketour.org

Local Companies support the Bergen Bike Tour

Perfect weather predicted for this Sunday’s event!

Several area companies have stepped up to sponsor the 18th Annual Bergen Bike Tour, set for Sunday, September 29th at Darlington Park in Mahwah. Proceeds benefit Tomorrows Children’s Fund and the Volunteer Center of Bergen County. In addition to providing funds, companies are also forming company teams, volunteering and encouraging customers and employees to ride. 

An added bonus is that the weather prediction for this Sunday is slightly cloudy with ZERO chance of rain!

Sponsors to date include TD Bank; JDD Alderisio; (201) Family; Amica Insurance; Apax Partners; Equinox Fitness Clubs; Inserra ShopRite; Jamis Bicycles; Lakeland Bank; Murphy, Miller & Baglieri, LLP; Oritani Bank Charitable Foundation; Stop and Shop; Synetek Solutions; Tanis & Sons; Visions Federal Credit Union; Baker Sports Marketing; Balance Point Payroll; Columbia Bank; Compensation Solutions; Dunkin' Donuts; Eisai USA Foundation; Flackman Goodman & Potter, P.A; Flavor & Fragrance Specialties; Garden State Wiper; Hackensack University Medical Center; KRE Group; Robert E. Martini, LLC; Myron Corporation; PNC Bank; Rockland Electric Company; Andrew Rubenstein, M.D.; Rudy’s Inflight Catering; Sanzari Companies; Sovereign Santander; Topcon Medical Systems; United Water; Withum Smith+Brown Global Assurance; Zerega Custom Pasta Company; The Alfa Group, USB Private Wealth Management; Allendale Bar & Grill/Mahwah Bar & Grill; Applebee's; Caribbean Aqua; Chatterjee Charitable Foundation; The Dapper Foundation/Hanse Law Firm; Downes Tree Service; Fulton, Timmes, Frega, & Straubinger, P.A.; Law Offices of Elsbeth J. Crusius, LLC; Lowenstein Sandler; Malesardi, Quackenbush, Swift & Company; Morgan Stanley; Sagemark Consulting Private Wealth Management; & RLB Food Distributors.

Thank you sponsors!

 

We are thrilled that so many companies have stepped up to sponsor the Bergen Bike Tour,” says Phil Murphy, chairman of the event.  “Community-minded companies can be proud of supporting our two charities, because Tomorrows Children and the Volunteer Center provide a range of programs and services that help everyone from children with cancer to the frail elderly, and from people with disabilities to families in crisis.”

 

More than 400 cyclists will ride routes of 10-, 25- or 50-miles through some of northern Bergen County's most scenic areas. There will also be a "Kids Ride" for children 10 and under.

 

For more information, visit http://www.bergenbiketour.org/ or to become a sponsor of this stellar event, call Jane He at 201-489-9454, ext. 125.

Are you on the list?

Sign up now for the Volunteer Center E-Newsletter.  Every month we send out announcements, volunteer opportunities, and exciting events happening around the Volunteer Center.  The newsletter is great way to stay on top of all things volunteering in Bergen County.

 

Sign up for our Email Newsletter

 

Others ways to stay in touch are our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Pages."Like"us now and never miss an opportunity to find out what this amazing organization is up to!

Family Fun at the Bergen Bike Tour

Sunday, September 29 – Darlington Park, Mahwah, NJ

 

The 18th Annual Bergen Bike Tour is a great way for families to spend time together, get some exercise, enjoy the outdoors and do good -- all at the same time!  The Bergen Bike Tour will be held on Sunday, September 29th, at Darlington County Park in Mahwah.  Routes of 10, 25 and 50 miles are available for riders of every level.  Kids’ Events, sponsored by TD Bank, will feature a special ride for those 10 and under on small bikes, big wheels and tricycles on our special Kids' Ride track.  The TD Bank Kids' Events will also include antique and new fire trucks to explore, pumpkin painting, face painting, games and crafts - including a lesson in origami - and much more.

 

We will also be raffling off 4 spectacular Jamis Bicycles kids’ bikes: 1 for boys 7-10 years old, 1 for girls 7-10 years old, 1 for boys 3-5 years old and 1 for girls 3-5 years old.  Thanks to Jamis for donating these snazzy bikes!

 

After the ride, cyclists of all ages are invited to the family fun picnic featuring a home-cooked barbeque lunch, plus prizes and fun for the whole family.  Register online at http://www.bergenbiketour.org or call 1-877-BER-BIKE (237-2453).

Classroom and Community Partnerships – Service-Learning is the tool!

by Debbie Emery

 

Recently more than 100 educators and school administrators across the state joined together for Service Learning New Jersey: Building Our Future.  Kean University provided a fabulous backdrop for the day, which was co-presented by generationOn, the New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Awards and the Volunteer Center of Bergen County.

 

Educators explored best practices  in service-learning from experts and practitioners in the field, discovered community resources to support initiatives, learned how to use service-learning as a tool to implement core practices and 21^st Century skills, and connected with peers in their areas of education.  Whenever the community and the classroom can benefit from each other’s expertise, students win.  

 

Some comments from attendees included:

• “...the entire conference was very useful and informative.”
• “Everything was amazing.  Mainly the workshops.  It was inspiring, educational and motivational.  Thank you.”
• “It is a definite need for our youth to know they are important.  And that we need listen to our students to see their perspectives on their community and the steps for improvement.”

 

Plans are already in the works for the 2014 conference.  If you want to receive information about this and other programs around youth volunteerism and service-learning, please contact Debbie Emery at demery@bergenvolunteers.org or 201-489-9454, x118.

 

Volunteer at the Bergen Bike Tour!

If you don't ride, that's okay! It takes many volunteers to make the Bergen Bike Tour great!

 

The 18th annual Bergen Bike Tour will be on Sunday, September 29, with myriad activities at Darlington Park, in Mahwah. Family-oriented and fun-filled, the event raises funds for the Volunteer Center of Bergen County and Tomorrows Children's Fund.

Volunteer slots are available between 6:30 am and 1:00 pm, and volunteers can help with set up, serve breakfast, prepare goodie bags, clean up, and cheer on riders. All volunteers receive a free, top-quality long-sleeve event t-shirt and refreshments. Join the fun!  Register to volunteer online or contact Debbie Emery at 201-489-9454, x 118.

Thanks to our All in a Day's Work Sponsors!

By Kristin Smith 

September 20th marks the Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council's corporate day of service, dubbed All In A Day’s Work.  Numerous companies will be volunteering their time to help several non-profits that welcome their assistance. 

 

Special thanks to the sponsors of the day:  Presenting Sponsor TD Bank, as well as Wells Fargo Advisors, Eastern Bergen County Board of Realtors, Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck, and United Water.  The generosity of these local companies makes possible the good work that will be done on that day.

 

If your company would like top get involved please contact Ellen Lutvak at 201-489-9454 ext. 133 or at elutvak@bergenvolunteers.org.

 

Cheers to volunteers!

Are you Ready for Some Football?

Now’s the time! Super Bowl XLVIII will be here before we know it and your help is needed to make it great for our region! 

 

The NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee is assembling a team of volunteers 15,000+ strong to donate their time as host ambassadors.  Volunteers will represent our region by meeting and greeting visitors at airports, transit hubs, and hotels in both NY and NJ, lending a hand to visitors to our region who attend Super Bowl Boulevard, and assisting at special events on both sides of the river. The support of those people who are interested in sharing their knowledge of the region, are proud of our region’s legacy, and are willing to contribute their time and enthusiasm for the good of the entire region.

 

When do we need volunteers?

The NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee is looking for volunteers from Sunday January 26^th to Monday February 3^rd.  We ask for a minimum contribution of two volunteer shifts of four hours each, but feel free to sign up for more.    

 

What will you wear?

Volunteering for the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee is expected to involve two shifts of four hours each, during which volunteers will wear a volunteer uniform that will be yours to keep - a wonderful memento of the role you will play in hosting the entire world the week of the game.

When are the training sessions? 
We will have multiple volunteer training sessions in November in the afternoons, evenings, and weekends in both NJ and NY. You must attend one of these 3 hour training sessions to be eligible to serve as a volunteer so you are versed with basic instruction and information to share with our guests.

This is our region’s first opportunity to host a Super Bowl and our chance to show the world how to do it!  Don’t miss out on being a part of the Super Bowl XLVIII legacy – sign up today.  Join the World’s Biggest Huddle.  Go to www.nynjsuperbowl.com  and click on Volunteer.