Good Friday morning! It's April 26 and you are reading "The Sunny Side."☀️
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Last week I met some wonderful people who left me in awe about what just a few can accomplish.
Fair Lawn Rotarian Forrest Elliott, a retired Clifton teacher who has devoted his life to helping others, invited me to attend his Rotary Club's Service Above Self annual dinner where five outstanding individuals would be recognized. Elliott wanted me to meet one of the award recipients — Ola Parks, who established the Blue and Yellow Foundation shortly after Russia attacked Ukraine. The non-profit group, run 100 percent by volunteers, delivers direct humanitarian assistance to people in Ukraine, especially children.
I sat at Ola's table along with other volunteers who help her run the foundation. (She also has a full-time job running a marketing agency which she co-founded.) Ola's group collects money and goods and ships them directly to children and families in war-torn Ukraine. They also pay for all shipping. They do this by raising funds through many activities. So much time goes into this.
The recipients of these humanitarian efforts are mostly children whose parents send back videos of them very excited to receive clothes, toys, school supplies and more. It allows donors to see just what their efforts accomplish.
Also at Ola's table were members of the O.U.R., or Organizing Ukraine Relief Foundation, which brings Ukrainian war survivors who have lost limbs to the United States for prosthetics and rehabilitation. They receive these services for free with money raised by the foundation.
Two men who picked up arms to protect their country when Russia attacked were also sitting at the table. They both lost limbs. Sergii Maidaniuk, a lawyer and former military man who rejoined the military when his country was attacked, lost his left leg above the knee to shrapnel. He was using crutches during the dinner as he had not yet been fitted with a prosthetic. The other man, Dmytro Klock, a business owner who defended his country with no military experience, lost his right foot when he stepped on an explosive. He was proudly wearing his prosthetic at the dinner. Also at the table were the medical professionals who were helping the men pro bono.
It was a beautiful night and I am grateful to have been included.
What these women and their foundations have been accomplishing, while holding down full-time jobs and raising children, is something to behold. I am in awe of them and all who devote so much time to the betterment of others. It makes me want to do much more.
Both foundations are still raising money and awareness. For more information on the Blue and Yellow Foundation, visit https://blueyellowfoundation.org/ . For the OUR Foundation, go to ourfoundationusa.org .
Good news stories
U.S. News & World Report recently released its rankings of high schools in 2024, nationally and by state. Eight New Jersey high schools made the list of the 100 best high schools in the United States in 2024 . The highest New Jersey school on the list is High Technology High School in Lincroft, which came it at No. 24 with a 100% graduation rate, a 100 score for college readiness, and an enrollment of 285 students. Check out the list of the top NJ schools here.
Good news if you love Chick-fil-A. The official opening date was announced for the new Paramus Chick-fil-A , which replaced the beloved Fireplace restaurant on Route 17. The fast-food outlet will start serving customers in Paramus on May 2, the same day the new Chick-fil-A in Parsippany is also scheduled to open. The chain has over 3,000 locations across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, including 61 in New Jersey. Read more about it here.
If that's not enough excitement for you, check this out. The Stew Leonard's grocery store chain is set to open its second New Jersey location at the Styertowne Shopping Center in Clifton on May 17. The new Clifton store will employ more than 300 individuals and expand that to another 200 to support seasonal sales. Either get a job there or shop there like I will. Check out the rest of the story here.
Photo gallery of the week
Of course, this week's gallery had to be about the NFL draft, and specifically about the New York Giants and the New York Jets. Did you stay up to watch the excitement last night? If not, check out the draft in pictures right here.
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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: ☀️These unbelievably great people live among us
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