By noontime, over 115 beautification projects were underway under some warmth and a peeking sun. Beautification projects throughout the city began to come to a close with League and Site Coaches submitting over 910 raffle entry forms on behalf of their volunteers at the volunteer after-party at Branch Brook Park by the Lion Statues.

Deputy Superintendent, Anzella Nelms, Brian Dean of JerseyCares and Dean Cary Booker (Mayor Booker’s brother) opened the program with a warm welcome and thanks for the volunteers that participated in Beautiful Newark ONE DAY. With that, music blared and it was chow time!

Party guests were greeted with sandwiches, chips, pizza, stuffed breads, desserts, popcorn, nachos, snow cones, drinks, and games. Volunteers from Team Bank of America and St. Philip’s Academy served everyone in the never-ending, winding food line!

Upbeat hits from DJ Power, a teacher’s dance contest, an exhibition from Corazones Unidos Siempre, Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. entertained the deep, massive crowd of over 400 at Branch Brook Park. Entertainment was even complemented by a balloon-making, face-painting clown!

Our hostess, teacher Judith Noel, was then later joined on stage by The League’s Program Director, Carrie Sams for raffle prize drawing. Mayor Booker later joined the festivities and helped choose the top three raffle prizes of the day - two (2) roundtrip tickets on JetBlue (anywhere they fly), a Flat Screen TV, and Skybox tickets at Bears Stadium.

Other raffle prizes drawn: four $25 Visa Gift Cards, Restaurant Gift Certificates from Mompou’s, Hobby's, 27 Mix, Savoy Grill and a Gift Basket from Pooka Pure & Simple All - Natural Organic Skin Products. Raffle prize winners announced were: Asiaray DeBose, Jenny Ressurreizao, Leslie Vasquez, Quaid Morris, Rachelle Brown, Sammie Hatfield, Seun Aladese, Shantel Akira Brown, Takisha McDowell, Vashawn Washington, and Yasmine Lee.

The party closed with pictures, pictures and more pictures, along with a reminder announcement of the Beautiful Newark $10,000 contest. This incentive motivated over 30% of participating organizations to partake in the city-wide beautification event. Before and after pictures were solicited for entry into contest. Finalists will be announced on website (www.beautifulnewark.org) and in the Star Ledger on Thursday October 19, 2006. Vote for the project with the most impact!

Beautiful Newark ONE DAY event was a success with the gracious help of many participating organizations and sponsors. For additional information and access to Beautiful Newark ONE DAY pictures, please contact Beautiful Newark Program Associate, Sharon Salvador at (973) 975 – 4119.

Partners & Sponsors:
Applegate Farms Homemade Ice Cream
Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark
Coutinho’s Bakery
Essex County Executive - Joseph DiVincenzo
Greater Newark Conservancy
Hobby’s Delicatessen and Restaurant
Jersey Cares
Newark Alliance
Newark Bears
Newark Now
Pepsi
PSE&G
Regional Business Partnership
Tasty Too!
The League
The MCJ Foundation
The Owl’s Nest Foundation
The Star Ledger
The Three Doctors Foundation
Verizon
Wachovia
Zing Marketing


Participating Organizations:
Abundant Life Fellowship
Alpha Theta Theta – Essex County College
Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc.
Christian Faith Baptist Church
Church of Living Water
Churches in Cooperation, Inc.
Community Chapel of Christ
Crawford Street Partners
Deliverance Evangelic Center
Essex County College African Students Assoc.
First Corinthian Baptist Church
Franklin St. John United Methodist Church
God’s Glory Ministry
Hopewell Baptist Church
Integrity House
La Casa de Don Pedro
Liberating Word Ministries
Mount Olivet Baptist Church
Muhammad Mosque Vanguard
New Bethel Baptist Church
New Jersey Clean Committee
New Life Christian Fellowship
New Life Missionary Baptist Church
Newark Boys Chorus School
Newark YMCA
Paradise Church
Refuge Tabernacle Christian Center
Renaissance Church of Newark
Reservoir Site Townhouses
S.L.A.M. Global Enterprises
The Johnie Jackson Foundation
Weed & Seed
Weequahic Park Association
Zion Baptist Church


List of Partners, Sponsors and Participating Organizations

Newark Public Schools will participate in ONE DAY with the help of their League Coaches, League Captains and students. They will clean and beautify school grounds and pathways to and from schools.