2023 Soirée Under the Stars: Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

On Friday, May 5th, the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) held its Soirée Under the Stars benefit fundraiser at Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, NJ after a 3-year hiatus due to Covid. This event drew 170 people and raised more than $77,000, which will support PBC’s award-winning Summer Bridge Program. Each year, Summer Bridge offers hundreds of students from Trenton and Newark a high-quality summer enrichment experience focused on social emotional learning, Literacy, and STEM as well outdoor experiences such as canoeing, kayaking, swimming, high- and low- ropes course adventures, and roasting s'mores over campfires, completely free of charge.

During the evening, PBC presented the 2023 Frank Broderick Award to John S. Watson, Jr. and NJM Insurance Group with the 2023 Reverend David H. McAlpin, Jr. Community Champion Award. To conclude the program, student speaker Issac Evans from Trenton spoke about how his experiences at the Center made him the person he is today.

This event supports the mission of the Princeton-Blairstown Center to serve young people, primarily from historically marginalized communities, by nurturing their social-emotional skills through experiential, environmental, and adventure-based programming. Developing these skills enables participants to engage in self-discovery and transform their communities to create a more just world. PBC strives for a future in which young people exhibit personal resilience and compassion, embrace expanded possibilities for their lives and enact positive change within their communities and the world.

Thanks to our event sponsors:

NJM Insurance Group; Robin & Chris Van Buren; Jessica Perry; Kathy & Bruce Petersen, Andrea & Warren Stock; AMSkier Insurance; Christina & Peter Bailey; Pam Gregory & David Palladino; Elyse & Chris Gribble; Claudia Franco Kelly & Scott Kelly; Suman Rao & Kaushik Arunagiri; Patty & Don Seitz; Patricia Shanley; Pamela & Derek Simpkins; Stark & Stark; Sarah Tantillo; Peggy & Russell DaSilva; Barbara & Chris DiCostanzo; Tamara Franklin; Geniva & Bill Martin; Nanci & David McAlpin; Anna & Chris Moser; Princeton Area Community Foundation & The Bunbury Fund; Heather & Scott Reilly; Pam & Joe Walker; Minda & William Alena; Revs. Alison Boden & Jarrett Kerbel; Rachel & John Clarke; Deborah & Anthony Corso; Susan Danielson & Peter Wyngaard; Michael S. Fletcher II; Geeta Govindarajoo & Bruce Ellsworth; Hill Wallack LLP; Dr. Patrice Jean; Randy Jones; Praveena Joseph-de Saram & Vijay Krishnamurthy; Angela & Shawn Maxam; Rita & Robert Murray; NJ Conservation Foundation; PBC’s Senior Leadership Team; Penbrook Management LLC; Karen Richardson; Lynda & Albert Robichaux; Ajanta & Pulkit Shah; Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum; Judith & Charles Tantillo; AJ Images, Aljohn’s; the bent spoon; Driscoll Foods; Nathan Fisher; Barry Harris, Jr.; and Pam Walker.

We are also tremendously grateful to our Soirée Under the Stars Benefit Committee for their time, energy, and effort organizing and executing this successful event.

Barbara DiCostanzo & Pam Walker

Co-Chairs, Princeton-Blairstown Center’s

Soirée Under the Stars Benefit Committee