Politics & Government

UPDATE: Flag Day 5K Raised 35K for Homeless Veterans

Somerset Hills YMCA hosted annual Flag Day 5K Run on Thursday to help homeless vets at VA.

Thursday evening's Flag Day 5K Run and Walk raised nearly $35,000 to benefit homeless veterans served by the Parsippany-based nonprofit organization Community Hope, in an event hosted for its tenth year starting and finishing outside the n Basking Ridge.

Approximately 170 runners participated in the Flag Day fundraiser and USTF-certified run to benefit Community Hope's Hope for Veterans Transitional Housing Program, which provides shelter and services to 95 homeless veterans a day, a spokeswoman for Community Hope said on Friday.

The Hope for Veterans Transitional Housing Program at the nearby, off Valley Road.

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Hope for Veterans® has helped 600 veterans overcome homelessness and despair since opening in 2004, according to Julia Ahmet, vice president of development for Community Hope.

The charity, in partnership with private developer Peabody Properties, soon will break ground on a second program at the Lyons VA campus, according to information from Community Hope. The construction of 63 units of permanent housing for veterans is slated to begin this year, the organization said.

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More information about the Hope for Veterans program is online.

The annual Flag Day 5K run began at 7 p.m. outside the YMCA's main facility at 140 Mount Airy Road in Basking Ridge.

“Hope for Veterans® is an innovative program that acknowledges the sacrifice that our service men and women make to protect our freedom. It ensures that our local veterans will have the opportunity to establish their independence and live their lives with dignity,” said Michael Surella, Director of Wellness and Sports at the Somerset Hills YMCA.

With thousands of former servicemen and women sleeping on the street or in shelters on any given night in New Jersey, the YMCA has been dedicating the event to helping homeless veterans for the past ten years, according to information released by the Somerset Hills YMCA and Community Hope in Parsippany.

Later on Thursday, Rodney Frelinghuysen, U.S. Congressman for the 11th district, which includes Bernards Twp. until the end of 2012, said: “It has been said that ‘Homelessness is a national issue that will be solved at the local level.’ That is why we’re so proud of the efforts of Community Hope."

Surella said one of the YMCA's three key areas of focus is social responsibility. "As an organization dedicated to helping people learn grow and thrive, the Somerset Hills YMCA is proud to lend its support to helping our veterans in need through the Flag Day 5K.”

The Flag Day 5K race was mapped on a fast and flat USATF-sanctioned and certified course. Runners were to begin and end the race from outside the Somerset Hills YMCA.

Mile markers and time were provided by Bestrace computer services. The Flag Day 5K is a USATF New Jersey Grand Prix event and runners will get 500 points for participating.

In recognition of Flag Day, donations also are being accepted in honor or in memory of a special veteran which will help homeless veterans rebuild their lives within the Hope for Veterans Program.

These honorary and memorial tributes will be listed in the Flag Day 5K Run event journal and can be made directly through the Community Hope Flag Day 5K website, according to both the YMCA and Community Hope.

For more information on the event, please contact the YMCA at 908-766-7898 ext. 519. For more information on the Hope for Veterans® Program or to pledge a tribute to a veteran, please visit the Community Hope web site or call the Development Office at 973-463-9600, ext. 308.

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