An effort to help one of Verona’s crossing guards stay warm this winter has snowballed into something to help all of the guards, and maybe a few other Verona families as well.
Earlier this winter, we told you that Laning Avenue School parents were lining up to help one of their crossing guards, who had had a health setback. Then Austin Frank, a former Laning student who is now a seventh grader at H.B. Whitehorne, began looking at how hard it is for the guards to stay warm while they are at their posts. The 33 guards, most of whom are retirees, are paid a stipend by the town for their work, but do not get any gear other than their stop signs and reflector vests.
The young man looked at what it would take to keep the guards warm, like heavy duty gloves and hats. And then he thought about ways to raise the money to get that gear. He sent e-mails to Under Armour, L.L. Bean and Lands End asking their foundations for support. While he waited, he found an item–a light-up pen–that could be sold as a fundraiser, made a presentation to the Verona Lion’s Club to ask for its help and designed a flyer that could be put up to raise awareness of the program. Oh, and he got his dad, Nick Frank, to front the wholesale cost of the pens.
Austin Frank set a goal of selling 900 of the 1,000 pens that were ordered. At a suggested donation of $10 per pen, that would raise $9,000. If that happens, he could buy gear for the guards and have enough left over to help Verona families who also need to stay warm.
The pens can be bought at Frank Anthony’s Restaurant, JT’s Barber Shop, Miele’s Restaurant, Lakeside Deli, American Dry Cleaners and Terry’s Pharmacy. You can also write a check to Verona Lions Charities, Inc. to make a direct donation. Mail it to Verona Lions Club, PO Box 38 Verona, New Jersey 07044, and put “Crossing Guards” on the memo line.
Frank’s dad says that the effort has already raised $1,100 and is having a snowball effect: American Dry Cleaners has offered to do dry cleaning for free for all of the 33 crossing guards.
Virginia, Thank you for posting !!!! To date we have raised $1645 of the $4950 needed to outfit the 33 crossing guards. Anything over that amount will go back to help Verona families in need. We have added some additional businesses like Salugo Bistro and was informed by John Terzo today at JT’s Barber Shop that he would match all customer contributions !!! Please support our Verona businesses and thank you for supporting the cause. You can also email in your order to [email protected]