Salerno Duane Auto Group Honored at Turning Leaves Benefit

Pictured left to right: Ann Feld of Morris Township, co-chair 2017 Turning Leaves Benefit for Preschool Advantage, Denise Lanza of Mt. Arlington, Trustee Preschool Advantage, Marci Kaputkin of Morristown, Judy Pierce of Morristown, co-chair Turning Leaves Benefit for Preschool Advantage, and Dianne Robinson of Morristown, Trustee Preschool Advantage.

Morristown, New Jersey – November 8,2017 Robert Ward and the Salerno Duane Auto Group were the honorees at the Turning Leaves Annual Benefit for Preschool Advantage. The nonprofit organization also recognized Union Hill Church Preschool and James McNamee in memoriam. The proceeds from the very successful evening will fund an early education for children whose families cannot afford the cost of quality preschool.

Jim Salerno, founder of Salerno Duane Auto Group, was among the friends Stu Lasser, Preschool Advantage founder, approached 25 years ago to help fund preschool for a child. Michael Salerno has continued Salerno Duane’s support of the Preschool Advantage mission including sponsorship of the Preschool Advantage Golf Invitational. James McNamee also supported Stu and Jill Lasser’s vision from the beginning. Preschool Advantage was honored to have so many long-time supporters in attendance at this year’s Turning Leave Benefit including event co-chair Ann Feld and her husband Stephen Feld.

“Since its founding, Preschool Advantage has funded almost 1400 tuitions for children in need. Our focus is to help those families that don’t qualify for public assistance yet don’t have the financial means to fund preschool for their children. Over my 15 year involvement with Preschool Advantage, I have seen the ripple effect that our scholarship program has on the families we serve. Not only do our children go to kindergarten ready to learn but many go home and help others learn the English language. Additionally, we often see mothers who now have extra time go back to work or go to school and put themselves in a better position for the future. The passion of our board, our volunteers and our donors is having an impact way beyond what was originally intended” said Robert Ward, former Preschool Advantage Board President and current Development Committee Chair.

The 2017 Turning Leaves Annual Benefit was held at the Westin Governor Morris Hotel in Morristown on Thursday October 19th. The success of this year’s event was due to the tremendous commitment of the many sponsors, participants and volunteers, including event co-chair Judy Pierce. Proceeds from the evening will provide preschool tuition funding for 30 children for the coming school year, with the silent auction alone funding five tuitions. A lucky winner received a $1,000 gift card generously donated by ConnectOne Bank.

The evening included a lovely dinner in the ballroom of the Westin Governor Morris Hotel with major sponsorship from First Energy Foundation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Adrienne & Dillard Kirby, Normandy Real Estate Partners, Rajiv & Anne De Silva, and Salerno-Duane Auto Group. Sincere thanks to these and to all the many other sponsors, donors, and volunteers who made the evening a great success.

There are thousands of families in Morris and Somerset Counties who cannot afford to provide their children with an early education. Preschool Advantage partners with 19 local preschools to give access to early learning for these children. Union Hill Church Preschool of Denville was recognized this year for its commitment to providing a quality early education

While there are federally funded programs to cover the cost of preschool for families living below the poverty line, working families making over that level have limited options. Together with its donors, supporters, volunteers, and community partners, Preschool Advantage seeks to provide opportunities for a lifetime of learning that will create a better world for its students, their families, and the community. To learn more about Preschool Advantage, please call 973-532-2501 or visit our website at www.preschooladvantage.org.