East Windsor, Hightstown Mayors Host Benefit For Better Beginnings

EAST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, NJ — East Windsor Township Mayor Janice S. Mironov and Hightstown Borough Mayor Lawrence Quattrone hosted the Mayors Shining Star Gala on May 20. The gala is a standing room only charity event to raise funds for Better Beginnings, a local child development center.

“The gala is to honor our ‘Shining Stars’ who help contribute to and better our community and to raise money for Better Beginnings which provides an important opportunity for high quality affordable childcare for working families in our community,” Mironov said. “The enormous turnout and support is a meaningful tribute to the many lives which have been touched and enriched over these many years by receiving a ‘better beginning’ and the good works of this organization.”

Mironov and Quattrone congratulated Better Beginnings on celebrating a milestone 50th anniversary and recognized “this exceptional child care facility for providing affordable quality care for families and their children in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment for the past 50 years.”

Further, “Better Beginnings has continued to advance their important mission of providing the children of working parents with an affordable enriched early childhood educational program that will provide a pathway for strong, healthy, self-reliant children and families.”

• Jacqueline K. Bodin, Lifetime Achievement Award;
• Ellen Ogintz, Individual Award;
• CCL Label, Business Award;
• Princeton Area Community Foundation, Organization Award; and
• Peddie School Better Beginning Club, Youth Award.

Better Beginnings, a non-profit organization, has been serving children and families in East Windsor and Hightstown since 1967. Better Beginnings was founded as a facility to provide economical disadvantaged children of the community with the opportunity and resources to reach their full academic potential.

Over the years, Better Beginnings has expanded its program to a licensed capacity of 99 children and has evolved into an early childhood education center accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The attached images were provided by East Windsor Township:

Photo #1: East Windsor Mayor Mironov and Hightstown Mayor Quattrone recognize 2017 “Shining Star” honorees at the Mayors Better Beginnings Charity Gala. Pictured (from left to right) are: East Windsor Mayor Janice S. Mironov; Jacqueline K. Bodin, Lifetime Achievement Award; Jeffery Vega, President and CEO of Princeton Area Community Foundation, Organization Award; Ellen Ogintz, Teacher at McKnight Elementary School, East Windsor Regional School District, Individual Award; Dan Richardson, Human Resource Manager and Paul Byrnes, Quality Assurance Technician of CCL Label, Business Award; Peter Le, President, Peddie School Better Beginnings Club, Youth Award, and Hightstown Mayor Lawrence Quattrone.

Photo #2: East Windsor Mayor Mironov and Hightstown Mayor Quattrone kick-off the 2017 Mayors Better Beginnings “Shining Star” Charity Gala, presenting a Mayoral Proclamation recognizing the 50th Anniversary of Better Beginnings Child Development Center. Pictured (from left to right) are: Hightstown Mayor Lawrence Quattrone; Dennis McCleary, President of Better Beginnings Board of Directors; East Windsor Mayor Janice S. Mironov, and Luz Horta, Executive Director of Better Beginnings.