Montville Teen Uses Pageant Platform To Raise Money For Teen Suicide Education

HELP EDUCATE AT RISK TEENS FOUNDATION

“SONGS FROM THE HEART: A NIGHT TO SUPPORT TEENS”

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017 FROM 7:00-9:00 PM

MAYO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Fundraiser to Promote Teen Suicide Prevention and Education Awareness

Featured Performances by Brian Falduto (School of Rock), Zach Matari (Day One),

James Ignacio (The King & I) & the MAYO Performing Arts Company

The Help Educate At Risk Teens Foundation (HEART) will hold “Songs from the HEART: A Night to Support Teens,” a Broadway Gala fundraiser to promote teen suicide and prevention awareness on Monday, October 23, 2017, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Mayo Performing Arts Center’s Starlight Room (100 South Street, Morristown, NJ). Tickets are $50 for adults; $25 for 17 and under and can be purchased on the MPAC website: https://www.mayoarts.org/event/h.e.a.r.t.-broadway-gala. For more information, please visit http://www.heartnj.org/.

Headlining the evening’s entertainment will be actor/singer/songwriter BRIAN FALDUTO (Billy in School of Rock), who just released his first EP “Love One Another;” and grew up in Pequannock, NJ, singer/songwriter ZACH MATARI, a Montville native and winner of the “John Lennon Song Writing Contest for his singles “Up to You” & “When the Levee Breaks;” and child star JAMES IGNACIO, who recently appeared in Lincoln Center’s production of The King and I. In addition, the Mayo Performing Arts Company, comprised of students ages 13-21 who share their love of musical theater to better the community, will perform selections from the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen. Special guests will include Dawn Doherty and Phyllis Alongi from the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, and Wendy Sefcik, who lost her son to suicide and is now an advocate for mental health awareness. Light refreshments, drinks, and a silent auction round off the evening.

The Help Educate at Risk Teens Foundation (HEART) was created by 15-year old Veronica Tullo, the current International United Miss Junior Teen 2017 and a sophomore at Montville Township HS, to fund programs educating teens about suicide prevention and awareness. Ms. Tullo comments, “Morris County has the highest teen suicide rate in New Jersey. For the last year, I have been working closely with the Society for the Prevention for Teen Suicide (SPTS) to bring their Monmouth/Ocean County Youth Wellness Summit to Morris County High Schools in order to help educate teens, teachers and adults about this epidemic. STPS was founded by two fathers who each lost a child to suicide. All the money raised will go to the Society for the Prevention for Teen Suicides Youth Wellness Summit for Morris County High School Students.”