All are invited to a Family Fun Day 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday (May 17) to help raise money for the Jennifer Ward Memorial Fund.
The event will be held at Fluharty’s Buck Tavern (621 Route 50) in Corbin City and includes kid-friendly activities, food, drink specials, live music and more.
Admission is $30 for adults (age 13 and older) and $10 for children ages 4 to 12. Children under age 3 are free. Rain date is Sunday May 18.
The following letter from Gerry and Jerry Ward describes more about Jennifer Ward and the nonprofit organization named for her:
As many of you know, the Jennifer Ward Memorial Fund was established in memory of our daughter, Jennifer Ann Ward. Jennifer attended Ocean City High School and graduated from Loyola University in Baltimore, Md. After a short career in human resources, Jennifer chose to follow her heart and enter the teaching field. Inspired by her newfound career, she was hired by St. Anne’s Regional School in Wildwood to teach mathematics and computer science. Teaching was everything that she thought it would be. Jennifer was adored by her students, colleagues and friends.
Jennifer’s pursuit of happiness tragically ended on Jan. 7, 2005. She fell victim to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) while having dinner with some of her closest friends. She was 29 years old — far too young to end her journey. The sadness and heartbreak felt because of her passing was widespread, affecting countless numbers of children, friends and family.
Losing a child is undoubtedly the most devastating event that a parent can ever endure. As Jennifer’s parents, we will continue to mourn her for the rest of our lives. While we often try to verbalize our sorrow, we have come to the realization that there are no words that can possibly express the grief that we feel.
The Jennifer Ward Memorial Fund is a small non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of SCA. Since the formation of the Jennifer Ward Memorial Fund, 35 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) have found homes in private and public schools, places of worship, small businesses, recreational sports fields, amusement parks and public beaches.
Hundreds of individuals have learned CPR and have been trained to utilize AEDs. In addition to that cause, our organization has awarded over $20,000 in scholarships to deserving students in the South Jersey area. Part of our goal is to also create awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest; which is the leading cause of death in the United States claiming close to 295,000 lives every year. Having an AED in place has significantly improved the survival rate in individuals that fall victim to SCA. It is proven that when AEDs and trained CPR bystanders are available immediately after someone collapses the chance of survival increases dramatically.
Recently, the state of New Jersey passed Janet’s Law in memory of Janet Zilinski, an 11-year-old who collapsed and died due to SCA in August 2006. Unanimously approved by both houses of the Legislature, this law requires New Jersey public and nonpublic schools to be equipped with an AED. Schools also need to establish emergency action plans for responding to sudden cardiac events and training for school officials and coaches on how to operate an AED. With your support and generosity, we can offer assistance for the ongoing training, in purchasing AEDs, and continue our mission to keep Jennifer’s spirit and love alive in our local schools.
To purchase advance tickets or make a donation, call Gerry Ward at 609-602-5394 or Nicole Presnall at 609-827-3119.
