NJCCA's Build-A-Backpack Annual Event

Please help NJCCA to fill backpacks with the back-to-school supplies for a group of inner city students.  The 2011 Kindergarten Class at McKinley Elementary School and the Pre School Classes at Early Childhood Global Academy, both located in Newark,  were chosen based upon need and logistics, as the recipients of NJCCA's Build –A-Backpack donation.  We plan to donate a total of 200 backpacks with school supplies and a new book for each child.  Volunteers will be asked to donate school supplies from the attached school supply list and books from the suggested book list and assist with assembling the backpacks at the networking event. Monetary donations are also accepted. Volunteers will be encouraged to bring their children to help us out with packing the backpacks.  We're planning to complete this project over the next 6-8 weeks, culminating with a small team of volunteers delivering the backpacks during the week of September 5th to McKinley Elementary School and Early Childhood Global Academy.

If you would like to contribute, please contact Gail Girard (NJCCA@comcast.net or (609) 312-7772) to confirm the item selected remains available and the number you are committing to purchase.  We ask that you also plan to have your donations shipped or delivered by August 12th to: Rebecca Brazzano at Thompson Hine LLP, 335 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10017 or Valerie Camara at Merck & Co., Inc., 126 East Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, N.J. 07065.

Building the backpacks with school supplies will be done at a fun-filled event to be held on Wednesday, August  24th at the Dolce, 300 North Maple Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, sponsored by Thompson Hine.  Wine, soda and light dinner will be served. Coffee and dessert will be available to encourage in-house counsel to continue to network after all the backpacks are filled.

Valerie Camara, Co-Chair of NJCCA Pro Bono and Outreach Committee, Evaleon Hill, Chair of NJCCA Women's Networking Committee, Michael Prokop, Chair of the Career Management Committee and Rebecca Brazzano of Thompson Hine are helping to organize the project.  Rebecca Brazzano of Thompson Hine, Larry Samilow of Update Legal and NJCCA have already offered their generous support by underwriting the cost of the backpacks needed for the project and Axiom has again agreed to provide additional support for our volunteers to commemorate our event. We wish to thank the Dolce Basking Ridge Hotel for providing the space for our event and offering of the dinner buffet for our volunteers.