Brick PBA Postpones Benefit Basketball Game In Coronavirus Spread

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Policemen's Benevolent Association has postponed its annual Helping Hands benefit basketball game amid efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

The game, which was scheduled for March 27, is set to benefit the family of Bentley Stanwise, a 3-year-old who has been diagnosed with cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, a very rare genetic mutation that causes a variety of issues, including heart problems, skin conditions and muscular problems.

He suffers from epilepsy, brain lesions, optic nerve hypoplasia, has difficulty with his airways, is dependent on a gastric tube for feeding, and is nonverbal, as well as other issues, his family says.

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The game, against members of the Brick Township High School football team, will be rescheduled, the PBA said.

CFC syndrome is estimated to affect 1 in every 810,000 people and just over 400 people in the world are currently diagnosed with CFC.

Any person or organization that would like to contribute to the fundraiser or otherwise participate should contact Officer John Turrin at jturrin@brickpd.com or can send donations to Brick PBA Local 230, P.O. Box 1067, Brick, NJ 08723 c/o Officer John Turrin. Checks can be made payable to the "Helping Hands Fund."

As of Sunday, there were 98 cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey, and two people have died from it, according to the state health department. There are two cases in Ocean County: a Manchester Township man and a pregnant Toms River woman. Both are hospitalized, officials have said.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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