BERGEN COUNTY & ESSEX COUNTY BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP STROLLERS TAKING STEPS TO PREVENT BRAIN INJURY

ENGLEWOOD, N.J. (August 29, 2014) Brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults in this country. It is also the signature wound of our troops returning from the Middle East. In New Jersey alone, there are nearly 9,000 traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) resulting in hospitalization or death each year. Under the team name, Support Group Strollers, the Bergen County and Essex County Brain Injury Support Groups are joining in the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey Walk for Brain Injury Awareness, #WalkBIANJ, September 27, at Saddle River Country Park, Dunkerhook Area in Paramus, 9:00 a.m. registration, 10:00 a.m. walk.

The teams’ goal is to raise $7,500 toward prevention, awareness and support for families in New Jersey, said Joe Concato, Leader of Bergen County Brain Injury Support Group and Team Captain. We have raised $3,435 as of August 28, 2014. Since 2007, the group raises more than $30,000. Please register to donate and/or join our team. For more information, visit bianj.org. Together we can make a difference.

Pictured L to R: First row and seated: Matt Torti, Belleville; Ray Himber, Mahwah; Cathy O’Donnell, Tenafly; Shirley Metts, Rutherford; Jane Concato, Westwood; Marilyn Torti, Belleville; Greg Paller, Haworth; Bill Metts, Rutherford. Second row: Joe Concato, Westwood; Keith Cho, Fort Lee; Amy Sieradzki, Clifton; Bob DeMartin, New Milford; Ruth Caban, Tenafly; Irene Pantano, Mahwah; Diane Barrett, Lyndhurst; Mike Greco, Dumont; Maria Himber, Mahwah; Jennifer Chin-Fong, Haworth; Bob Himber, Mahwah; Andrew Berges, Haworth. Third row: Mark Sieradzki, Clifton; Bruce Gionet, Fort Lee; Peg Lockwood, Dumont; Matt Sieradzki, Clifton; Krystal Sieradzki, Clifton; Bob Plinio, Dumont; Scott Barrett, Clifton.

There are now 20 Alliance-affiliated support groups in New Jersey, serving 17 counties. The Alliance monitors the activities of these groups, the qualifications of their leaders, and provides them with information and resources on a regular basis. Please call the support group contact before you attend a meeting for the first time, or if you have not attended recently.

Bergen County Brain Injury Support

Bergen Group at Englewood Hospital

350 Engle St., Englewood, NJ 07631

Contact: Jane & Joe Concato, 201-666-2015, jjconc@optonline.net

Meets the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm

Essex County Brain Injury Support Group

Essex Group at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation

1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052

Contact Betty Collings, 973-414-4743

Meeting the second and last Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM

Jane Concato is a brain injury survivor. She suffered her brain injury in 2004, as a result of a fall at home. She and her husband Joe Concato began giving back to the community as leaders of the Bergen County Brain Injury Support Group in 2007. Jane and her therapy dog, Lucy, also provided countless hours of on-site support to those in need until Lucy retired as a therapy dog in 2013 and passed away in 2014.

This is the link to register to support the team.

https://sna.etapestry.com/fundraiser/BrainInjuryAllianceofNewJersey/Walk2014/search.do

CONTACTS:
Nancy Sergeant, Sergeant Marketing, Inc., 973-568-0001, nsergeant@sergeantmarketing.com

Joe and Jane Concato, Bergen County Brain Injury Support Group Leaders, 201-666-2015, jjconc@optonline.net