Rockaway Townsquare Hosts 28th Annual Gooch's Garlic Run to Benefit Ailing Children

In conjunction with the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, New Jersey Chapter IX, Simon’s Rockaway Townsquare will host the 28th Annual Gooch’s Garlic Run on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. More than 2,000 motorcyclists are expected to take this 30-mile ride to raise money for local children with physical and catastrophic illnesses.

Families can enjoy pre-ride activities, including great food, vendors, music and more in the shopping center’s parking lot. On-site registration begins at 4:30 p.m. A full police escort will accompany the riders, who will depart from the Rockaway Townsquare parking lot at 6:30 p.m. sharp. The course travels along Routes 80 and 280 to McCarter Highway/Route 21 and will culminate at Ferry Street in Newark’s Ironbound District. In case of inclement weather, Gooch’s Garlic Run will be rescheduled to Wednesday, June 24.

The support and generosity of local riders and contributors throughout the past two decades has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, helping numerous New Jersey families. Proceeds from this year’s ride will benefit the following recipients:

• Anthony L. Longo of Wantage, New Jersey is six-years-old. Anthony has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (A.L.L.) and is being treated at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey. He is being cared for by his grandmother and grandfather, Ilene and Scott Sargeant.
• Aryanna Tamsyn Brahs is two-years-old and was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, which affects the development of bones and other tissues of the head. Aryanna lives in Newton, New Jersey with her mom, Amy, her dad, Thomas, and her nine-year-old sister, Makayla.
• Joseph Hayden is 16 years old and suffers from Congenital Hypoventilation Syndrome and Hirschprung Disease. Joseph undergoes treatments at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He lives in Franklin, New Jersey with his mom, grandfather, aunt and two younger siblings, Emma and Robert.
  

“Once again, we are pleased to co-host the Annual Gooch’s Garlic Run. We encourage our shoppers and the local communities to participate in this worthy event that can help change a child’s life,” said Maria Gregorius, area director of marketing and business development.

Along with Rockaway Townsquare, this important event is sponsored by Hilton Garden Inn, Rider Insurance, Hot Rods Real Pit BBQ, Tri-State Rentals, Inc., Costco, Lakeland Bus Lines, Coca-Cola Bottling of Parsippany, Shop Rite (Glass Gardens, Inc.) and F&S Distributors, Inc.

All motorcyclists are invited to participate. Pre-registration is $15 per motorcycle; on-site registration on event day is $20 per motorcycle. To learn more about Gooch’s Garlic Run or pre-register online, visit www.bknjix.org or www.facebook.com/garlicrun. Fundraising is ongoing for the event and a Go Fund Me page has been set up by the Blue Knight’s that can be found at www.gofundme.com/garlicrun.