Fundraiser for Injured Manalapan Boy Set for St. Patrick’s Day at T.G.I. Friday’s

A fundraiser for an injured Manalapan boy will be held at the T.G. I. Friday’s restaurant, at 280 Rt. North, in Manalapan (Morganville) on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, from 5 P.M. to 9 P.M. The event will benefit 8-year-old Joseph Romeo and his family.

On Friday, Feb. 11, Romeo, a third-grader at Milford Brook School, was struck by a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado while crossing a street in his Manalapan development.

According to an article in the Daily Record, Romeo was transported by a State Police medevac helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was initially listed in critical condition and put on a respirator. Although he suffered minor bleeding in the brain and other bodily injuries, he was expected to make a full recovery and has been recuperating.

The driver of the vehicle, Brian W. Kerchner, 33, of Hunlock Creek, PA, was charged with illegal possession of a hypodermic needle and drug paraphernalia. Kerchner was released on a summons.

Tonight’s fundraiser at T.G.I. Friday’s will help Joseph and his family by offsetting their medical expenses.

Parties must present a special flier to their server and the Romeo family will receive 20 percent of the sale, pre-tax. The flier is attached to this article as a PDF and is available for download by clicking here.