Neighbor News
East Hanover Businessman Honored for Support of Nonprofit
Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey will honor Howard Gogel at Dining in the Dark, an Oct. 25 event marking Blindness Awareness Month
Howard Gogel’s dad returned from the Korean War in an iron lung and weighing just 88 pounds, having been stricken by polio. Despite his debilities, Philip Gogel started a car parts business from the back of the family station wagon. In 1962, he opened Gogel Tire, which became the foundation for a successful group of businesses in East Hanover.
“My father didn’t let physical limitations limit him,” said Gogel, who owns Gogel Discount Tire, Gogel Auto Sales, Gogel Rent-a-Car, and MyLimo along with his brother, Stewart.
Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey, one of the state’s longest-serving nonprofits for adults with vision loss, is honoring Gogel at its 75th anniversary celebration, Dining in the Dark, on Oct. 25. “Howard Gogel has been a longtime supporter of Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey and appreciates our mission of empowering people who lose their sight,” Vision Loss Alliance Executive Director Kris Marino said.
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“Vision Loss Alliance is a blessing to all the people they serve,” Gogel said. “They help people who lose their sight get back to living their lives.”
Gogel was introduced to the organization in 2001, when it was called NJ Foundation for the Blind. My Limo drivers went through training to provide participants transportation to programs. Gogel soon after became a supporter. “I strongly believe in giving back to the community,” he said.
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Gogel has served six years on the board of directors of Employment Horizons, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities train for and obtain jobs, and he sits on the board of the Limousine Association of New Jersey. Gogel established three annual scholarships, one for a Hanover Park Regional High School senior, one for a Whippany Park High School senior, and one for a student chosen by Gogel’s alma mater, Fairleigh Dickinson University.
FDU awarded Gogel its highest honor in 2014 when he was inducted into the FDU Pinnacle Society for his professional success and contributions to his community.
“That was one of my proudest moments,” said the father of five. Gogel grew up in Whippany and lives in Montville with his wife, Rosa Elia.
To register for Dining in the Dark, visit http://dininginthedark.info/. Guests will enjoy a delicious meal with all their senses — except sight — at the Meadow Wood Manor in Randolph.
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ABOUT VISION LOSS ALLIANCE OF NEW JERSEY
Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) that provides practical training and emotional support to help those who have experienced profound vision loss regain self-esteem and self-reliance. Since its founding in 1943, Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey has used a holistic approach to empower those with profound vision loss to live engaged, productive and independent lives. Go to vlanj.org for more information.
