Car wash boosts JEF

BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - Some students at Jackson Memorial High School are all wet.

"The Jackson Education Foundation (JEF) fundraising committee held a car wash on Sept. 16 at Commerce Bank and the kids raised $268," said Theresa Licitra, assistant principal at the Elms Elementary School, who co-chaired the event with former mayor Michael Kafton. "Eight students from Jackson Memorial volunteered and spent a Saturday morning washing cars in order to raise money for the foundation, which benefits all Jackson students."

Student coordinators Christopher Grimes, a junior, and Taylor Grimes, a freshman, were instrumental in recruiting car washing volunteers from JMHS.

In addition to Christopher and Taylor, the high school student volunteers included juniors Briant Dunnican, Kyle Menchaca and Eric Mundie; sophomore Rebecca Becci Garcia; and freshmen Marissa Fischer and James Cornick.

Second-grader Hannah Moss, fourth-graders Victoria Jankowsky and Rain Cornelius, and fifth-graders Alexandra Aldarelli and Amanda Capasso, under the direction of Elms Elementary School after-school child care head teacher Kathy Williams, created posters for the morning car wash.

Commerce Bank, Century 21, All-Star Bagels, Jackson Hardware, ShopRite of Jackson and Seasonal World demonstrated their support through donations.

The fundraising initiative and its success was also attributed the efforts of JEF member Jennifer Grimes.

"The Jackson Education Foundation would like to thank the Jackson community volunteers and sponsors whose combined commitment and collaborative effort helped to make this fund-raising event a huge success," Licitra said. "The successful efforts of these volunteers truly make a difference within our schools and within our community."

The foundation is a voluntary organization established in 2005 under the leadership of Martin and Barbara Spielman.

Martin Spielman is presently the vice president of the Jackson Board of Education.

The JEF provides the means to enrich and enhance programs in the Jackson public schools.