Students collect baby products for needy families Sixth annual drive collects more than 4000 items BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Although their president, Kelly Mahon, fell ill in November, the 75 members of the International Culture Club (ICC) at Woodbridge High School stood strong and collected over 900 items of baby products for the club's sixth annual Teddy Bear's Closet drive. "This has been a cause close to my heart," said Tina Provenzano-Clark, who has been the club's adviser since the fall of 2000. "Kelly's illness hit the senior class hard; she is active in everything she has done. We are staying positive because that is how Kelly's vibe is." Mahon, who was found to have a large mass in her brain, is currently at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rehabilitation Center in New Brunswick. "We visit her every week," said Provenzano- Clark. "She is a true leader and has been with ICC since her sophomore year. She is a role model and we miss her. Our thoughts and prayers are with her." Along with the 900 items collected by the students, the club received help from corporate sponsors, including Stop & Shop supermarket and Duane Reade. "We have collected over 4,000 baby items," said Terry Sharkey, chairman of the Mayor's Advisory Committee. "Gail [Jordan, vice president of the Human Resources Department at New Jersey-based Stop & Shop] on behalf of Stop & Shop donated five $100 gift cards for the supermarket, and Duane Reade donated approximately 1,000 baby product items." The Mayor's Advisory Committee coordinated the drive. Provenzano-Clark, Sharkey, and the students were joined by Mayor John E. McCormac, Principal Arthur Lee Warren, members of the Mayor's Advisory Committee, Peter Barcellona, chairman of the We Feed Food Bank Committee, and Jordan on Feb. 21 in the high school cafeteria. The items, which included boxes of Gerber baby food, different brands of disposable diapers, baby wipes, bottles, pacifiers, and baby clothes, were sent to help township families in need of the products for their newborns or toddlers, after the township officially accepted the baby supplies on Feb. 21. Over a two-month period, the students set up collection bags in each homeroom as part of the Teddy Bear's Closet drive, which collects donations of essential baby-care products that are not usually donated to food pantries. "Every small thing helps," said Jordan, who congratulated the students on their efforts. There was also a café night held at Woodbridge Middle School on Jan. 31 that raised over 600 baby items for the Teddy Bear's Closet drive. Christina Brady, a junior at Woodbridge High School and acting president, thanked Provenzano-Clark for making the club such a "fun-loving" club and mentioned that the Teddy Bear's Closet drive is only one of the club's big events. "We are at the Hand in Hand Festival, the Breast Cancer Walk, the ALS Walk, [and more]," she said. Joanne Bulla, who has since passed away, was vice chairwoman on the Mayor's Advisory Committee under then-Mayor Frank G. Pelzman, who died on June 29, 2006. She was the one who spearheaded the Teddy Bear's Closet project as part of the township's major project for the national Make A Difference Day, which falls on Oct. 26. Make A Difference is a 501-c3 nonprofit organization that mobilizes volunteers, develops and manages innovative programs, and cultivates service leaders to create strong and vibrant communities. "It was in 2002, when one of my students [Caroline Stankiewcz] saw the fundraiser online and brought it to our attention," said Provenzano-Clark. "Over the years, we have collected thousands of baby product items."