Rockaway Townsquare Hosts 29th Annual Gooch's Garlic Run

In conjunction with the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, New Jersey Chapter IX, Simon’s Rockaway Townsquare will host the 29th Annual Gooch’s Garlic Run on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. More than 2,000 motorcyclists are expected to take this 30-mile ride to raise money for local children with physical and catastrophic illnesses.

Beginning at 4:30 p.m., participants can register and enjoy pre-ride activities, including great food, vendors, music and more in the shopping center’s parking lot. 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 22.

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:

· Emma Grace of Kenvil, New Jersey is two-years-old. Emma has Aicardi Syndrome, a rare genetic malformation syndrome, Schizencephaly, another rare disorder and Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. She had a right hemispherectomy in late October 2015. Emma lives with her parents, Jessica and Joel.

· Carter Richard is four-years-old and suffers from an unspecified mitochondrial disorder. He lives with his parents, Kimberly and Richard and his older brother, Ethan. Carter is being treated at Robert Wood Children’s Hospital as well as medical facilities in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. The family hopes that further testing and research of his disorder will someday reveal a final diagnosis.

· Lara Elise and Lucas Aaron are siblings that both suffer from Cockayne Syndrome, an extremely rare genetic premature aging disorder. Lara and Lucas are being treated by a team of doctors mostly based out of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. They live in Morris County, New Jersey with their mom and dad.

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

Along with Rockaway Townsquare, Gooch’s Garlic Run is sponsored by Hilton Garden Inn, Rider Insurance, Hot Rods Real Pit BBQ, Tri-State Rentals, Inc., Costco, Lakeland Bus Lines, Greik Bros. Paving, 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 and for the first time ever, VIP Registration, which offers a VIP ride spot, event t-shirt and commemorative pin, is available for $30. To learn more about Gooch’s Garlic Run or pre-register online, visit www.bknjix.org or www.facebook.com/garlicrun.