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Community Corner

March For Babies Draws Nearly 1,000

The March of Dimes Held the 12th annual Walk For Babies through Pearl River Saturday.

Everything went close to perfect Saturday at Blue Hill Plaza.

Even a reluctant sun finally broke through the clouds to warm the hearts of the countless volunteers and nearly 1,000 participants in the 12th annual March of Dimes Walk for Babies through Pearl River.

The 9 a.m. start was about 15 minutes behind schedule, but with Eye of the Tiger blaring in the background, balloons in bloom, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department, and members of the Orangetown Police Auxiliary and Pearl River Ambulance Corps at the ready — with various tents and tables featuring everything from National Guard recruiters to free massages seemingly well-staffed — the field was in motion for a five-mile fund-raising trek.

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Sharon Masciovecchio of New City, in her 12th year as March of Dimes Director of Walk, said she expects to raise $91,000 this year, conservatively, and perhaps as much as $95,000 in this year’s Walk for Babies—being staged this weekend in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in support of research and programs that help moms have full-term, healthy babies.

Masiovecchio said the event’s fund-raising efforts — led by Mack-Cali, M&T Bank, Chase Bank, Provident Bank, Greater Hudson Bank, Novardis and Orange & Rockland Utilities, among others—have brought in, on average, $100,000 each year.

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“I’m fortunate. I have three kids who are healthy,” said Masciovecchio, whose start in the program began when she worked at All State. She added that she was moved by the stories of people who had been helped at a hospital’s natal intensive care unit (NICU).

“When you hear the stories you are blown away,” added Jody Addeo of New City, the March of Dimes community director of Rockland County. “I’m happy with the turnout today; the lawn was full, and we had many, many volunteers; the entire Clarkstown South national honor society did anything we needed … the Army, different groups.”

Masciovecchio has been recruiting her children for volunteer duty, two of whom were on hand Saturday while another, Josh, was officially released to attend a scouting function at West Point.

“Josh is normally here,” mom offered, before giving commands to her son Kevin, a Clarkstown South grad who is a junior at Rensselaer, and to her daughter Jessica, a senior at Clarkstown South who will pursue a criminal justice career at York College, and who was huddling with Staff Sgt. Swanson of the 101st Signal Battalion about possibly signing up for ROTC.

Above all else, many of the walkers had personal stories to relate, some of which had a direct relationship to the March of Dimes cause.

“My sis and I had a cousin (Noah Nicholson) born at six months and survived,” said Theressa Plummer of New City, whose sister, Renee-Plummer Brown, CEO at DNK Productions, an event-planning company, completed the walk carrying her little girl Gabriella, born on Aug. 9, 2010.

Theressa’s group also included a 3-year-old son Mikel Burke; her mom, Avis Plummer, a registered nurse at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx; Kyla Brown—one of Renee’s three daughters—an aunt, Jennifer Gordon, and not to be left unmentioned, a baby Yorkshire Terrier, Strawberry Snowflake. (Yes, the Yorkie also finished the route.)

“We’re really involved with March of Dimes because my daughter got really sick during pregnancy, like me; it’s genetic,” said Avis Plummer. “She got very, very sick the whole time carrying her baby. So we do everything we can to help people. This is our first time here, but we’ve done it (Walk for Babies) at Rockland Lake many times.”

Avis was proud to add that her sister Jennifer alone raised $900 at Lanca Sales in Hillside, NJ.

Other walkers were driven to participate simply because they did not have difficulties.

“That’s exactly why we’re here, because we had no trouble, we had a healthy baby, and you have to be supportive of those who didn’t,” noted Clarkstown South graduate Chris Doran of Nanuet, who heads family-run Paint-Tech Inc., a high-end outfit in Manhattan.

“I graduated from the University of Manual Labor—thanks dad!” smiled Doran, cuddling his daughter Elaina. “She was born seven months ago to the day.”

C.W. Post graduate Erin St. Hilaire, who is engaged to Doran and is from Plattsburgh near the Canadian border, said she hopes to run the five-mile course one day, perhaps next year.

Hilaire smiled when her delivery was discussed.

“It went well, if 41 hours of delivery is well,” she said. “But she came out happy and healthy and smiling. It makes you want to do it again.”

The happy couple and child recently did an organ donor fund-raiser at Rockland Lake, and definitely will continue to do the walk, and other such events.

“At the end of the day it’s a good feeling,” Doran noted.

 Danielle Brooks of Stony Point, team leader for Kohl’s in Nanuet, and co-worker Marcos Silva, also of Stony Point, said this was their first time joining the Walk for Babies, and it was highly rewarding.

“We like to help little kids, anybody who is sick,” Brooks said. “During the winter we did the Stony Point Seals Polar Plunge in the Hudson River, in cold water, for the kids, for needy families.”

Another devoted walker was Kim Meisner of Congers, along with her Puggle, Harley. Meisner, who works at Dykstra Florist in Blauvelt, was also accompanied by Nyack’s Christian Turk, a graduate of Nyack College.

Another group of four family members from New City was led by the husband-wife duo of Edith and Ruben Ortiz, who were each wearing a T-shirt that read, "Walk for Brandon," as were his mom Tiana, and her brother Luis Jimenez, a student at Rockland Community College.

Brandon, whose photo adorned the T-shirts, was sitting royally in a stroller. He was born prematurely.

 “He was 2 pounds 10 ounces, and he’s now 16 pounds, nine months old,” Tiana said. “So, we had to be here. How could we not be here?”

Good question, easy answer, as attested to by another marvelous turnout.

Cooling down

  • Red-blooded Elmo of Sesame Street was a big hit with the kids. In his alter life Adam Kronish of West Nyack is a senior at Clarkstown South bound for Tufts University. Elmo’s assistant was Lauren Altman of New City, a Clarkstown South junior.
  • The Rockland graduate chapter of Tau Gamma Zeta included sorority sisters Michelle Etienne of Nyack (1986 Nyack High graduate), her 4-year-old daughter Emma Clarke, Dionne Wilson of Mount Vernon, and Denise Gray of Monsey. “We do a national partnership with March of Dimes,” said Gray, who heads 5 Linx Expansion Leaders (DWILSON@5LINX.NET). “Our chapter in Westchester joined us for the walk; next year we’ll do Westchester.”
  • Chief Louis Falco of the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department, a 34-year member of the department who is running for Sheriff to replace the retiring James Kralik, headed a security detail, and indicated he is a big supporter of the various March of Dimes causes. The Blauvelt resident was assisted by Orangetown community relations officer Gerald Verdicchio, in his 18th year.
  • For those who needed a massage after completing their walk, DeCarlo Chiropractic of New City donated the expertise of licensed massage therapist Cinnette Wilder of Bardonia, and 2005 Clarkstown North graduate Marianna Trombetta.
  • Staff Sgt. Swanson was recruiting for a second time at the event for the National Guard. Swanson noted the Guard would also be in Suffern June 3-9, working in conjunction with NFL players. “It’s for high school kids,” he said.
  • Ed Beatty of Orangeburg was a team leader for Chase Bank, accompanied by Tammy Sforza of Valley Cottage, an assistant branch manager, district manager Bob Recla of Congers, and Sparkill branch manager Larry DiLorenzo of Pearl River.
  • It was hard if not impossible to miss the chrome yellow Pearl River fire truck, a vintage American LaFrance Pumper, type 75, built in Elmira in 1921, and restored 30 years ago. “We’re taking it to the Memorial Day Parade, and maybe the Pfizer Car Show,” said Pearl River High graduate Kevin McGarvey, an 18-year member of Excelsior Engine Co. whose dad, Leonard, is an ex-chief with close to 60 years as a member. Two future members, enjoying the bells and whistles of the pumper, and supplying almost as much history as their dad, were Lincoln Avenue elementary school students Kevin, Jr. and his sister Lauren. McGarvey, noting that Pearl River Hook and Ladder features red trucks, said his company’s yellow baby cost $12,500 to build. “That was a big number in 1921,” he said. “This could pump! About 750 gallons per minute, but now we have 2,000. For its time, it was among the best. We rebuilt it, but it’s hard to get parts now.”

Editor's Note: Check back with Pearl River Patch this week for a veiwfinder gallery displaying more of Carol Dyer's pictures from the March of Dimes Walk for Babies.

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