#ShuckCancer At Maplewood Oysterfest Saturday

MAPLEWOOD, NJ - More than 2,000 attendees are expected to come support melanoma awareness while enjoying food, live entertainment and kids’ activities as part of the 5th Annual Robert J. Miller Oysterfest.

The event is set for 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday at the Woodland.

Each September over the last five years, there have been “Get Naked in the ‘Wood” lawn signs throughout Maplewood and South Orange yards and have made many curious. This clever slogan promotes the annual Robert J. Miller Oysterfest for Melanoma Awareness that drew 2000 neighbors to the Woodland last year to support an important cause and enjoy a fun community event for all ages. This event was designed to raise funds for cancer research and awareness, but more importantly “give back” by providing financial support to families facing an unexpected medical crises.

Bob Miller was a long time Maplewood resident who lived in the heart of town with his wife Grace and their four daughters. He was a world-class architect who had just started his own architecture firm in New York City after years of working with some of the biggest names in the field, including Robert Stern and Michael Graves. He was also a dedicated father, seeing his girls off to school and coaching lacrosse. At age 45 he was diagnosed with melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Despite a courageous two-year battle, Bob passed away in March 2014, organizers said.

In 2015, Grace along with devoted friends and community leaders organized the inaugural charity event, Robert J. Miller Oysterfest to celebrate Bob’s life, raise funds for melanoma research and provide skin cancer screenings. This is a venue to give people a chance to see a dermatologist and take advantage of a quick and convenient screening at a fun, social event.

“This event is therapy for me and the girls because it honors Bob while also raising awareness about melanoma,” said Grace. “Through prevention and early diagnosis, our real hope is that we spare others the pain of this disease. The fact that we gather in the center of Maplewood is a bonus.”

There will be loads of children’s activities until 5 p.m. including fairy hair, henna tattoo artists, face painters, magic show, a photo booth and life-size games. This event will include an array of food trucks, scrumptious food choices ranging from oysters and lobster rolls to tacos, hot dogs and asian foods. The entertainment is bands Brian Kirk & the Jirks, and 80s Nite band.

This year, in the VIP tent, we are featuring foods from our newest local restaurants like Town Hall Deli, Millburn Deli, Sprout, Mitti Mitti, Jackie & Sons, Cornbread, Village Trattoria, the Able Baker, Gigi Cupcakes, and coffee from Starbucks. Also in the VIP tent is open bar, wine tasting, and “All Day Rose” wine bar.

Most importantly, there will be free, on-site melanoma skin screenings from 1 to 5 p.m., organizers said.

This community health event has raised and donated over $100,000 to fulfill its mission toward Melanoma research and education, as well as the continued commitment to give back to local families in need. The event is sponsored by:

• Township of Maplewood
• St. James Gate
• Keller Williams Midtown Direct
• JMF Properties
• The Lions Club
• Maplewood Rotary Club
• Far Brook School
• Schwartz Design Showroom
• The Able Baker
• Bistro D’Azur
• Village Trattoria
• Baker Street Yoga
• Arturo’s
• Millburn Orthodontics
• Tom Conway Architect
• MNET Mortgage
• Maplewood Lacrosse Girls + Boys
• Anthony Garubo
• Jerry Rose Floral
• Guaranteed Rate
• Village Green NJ

The Robert J. Miller Oysterfest is also made possible through the hard work of the following committee members:

• John Meade
• Grace Miller
• Ellen & Donald Davenport
• Amy Jo & Pat Curran
• Carol V. Fardin
• Danielle Medeiros
• Karen Semian
• Adam Sparrey
• Tom Varbero

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit the website.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.