Russ Berrie Award Given To Longtime Hasbrouck Heights Volunteer

A Hasbrouck Heights resident is one of the recipients of the 19th annual Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference given out by Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Anne Ciavaglia McMahon of Hasbrouck Heights was among the ten individuals from the Garden State to receive the award recently. The award is given to individuals who provide ”outstanding community service” and “charitable contributions” and make an impact in the lives of others.

McMahon has spent more than 25 years in the human services field giving back to others. This despite the fact that she was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive degenerative muscle disease.

She is a longtime volunteer with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a member of the Hasbrouck Heights Community Access for All Committee.

She is the founder of the Our New Journey project, a non-profit that provides support to people with disabilities and their families.

Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference winners receive financial prizes of between $50,000 and $5,000.

(Pictured: From left, Ramapo College president Peter Mercer; Brendan McMahon, accepting the Russ Berrie Award for his wife, Anne Ciavaglia McMahon; Angelica Berrie, president of the Russell Berrie Foundation; and Josh Weston, co-chair of the Berrie Foundation Advisory Council/Courtesy of Ramapo College of New Jersey)