Fundraiser, Gift Certificates & October 31 st Healthy HarvestFest and Harvest Walk Highlight Effort

Maplewood, NJ, September 22, 2009 - The Springfield Avenue Partnership will help inform local residents and visitors to Maplewood's Springfield Avenue Special Improvement District regarding the importance of early breast cancer detection and treatment by "Turning the Avenue Pink" with promotions, entries for gift certificates worth over $2,000 in donated goods and services from district businesses and prizes throughout October, national Breast Cancer Awareness month. The month-long effort will culminate with a Healthy HarvestFest and Harvest Walk for Breast Cancer on October 31 st featuring family-friendly activities, entertainment, and sidewalk sales.

In addition, Springfield Avenue 's center lane will be painted pink thanks to a generous donation of paint from Ricciardi Brothers Paint and services donated from Statewide Striping Corporation, Parsippany, NJ. The district's 200 trees will be decorated with pink ribbons, the symbol of the breast cancer awareness effort, throughout the month of October. All funds raised by the Partnership during the event will be donated to UMDNJ, S.A.V.E. Women and Men Project (Screen Access of Value to Essex Women and Men).

Event Sponsors include: Chris and Cathy's Coney Island Grill, Clain Pilates, The News-Record, Ricciardi Brothers Paint, Woolley Fuel, P&P Lawnmower, Meineke, and many of the businesses and property owners within the district.

"Millions of women across the globe suffer from breast cancer, the second most common form of cancer in women after skin cancers," noted Simone Anthony Brown, owner of Express Yourself Studio. "The Northeastern United States, including New Jersey, has some of the highest breast cancer incidence and mortality rates in the nation, so we were motivated to take action by our concern for the customers, friends and neighbors who support the businesses on Springfield Avenue."

Anthony-Brown is a member of the Partnership's Event Committee, along with Dione Williams, M.D., Norman Woolley, Woolley Fuel, Sheila Cartlidge, Astah's Art Gallery, Pauline Lacey, Le Petit Academy and Maplewood resident Krystina Mahoney.

Board President and District property owner Jim Nering stated that "the response of the business owners to this event has been overwhelmingly positive and we feel this is a valuable way to engage our businesses with the community while raising awareness for such an important cause."

Participating businesses in the district will be identified by window readers, and will include counter displays with information about the program, breast cancer donation collection canisters, ballot boxes for drawings along with pink and white candy they will distribute to children and their parents who participate in the Healthy HarvestFest and Walk on Halloween and visit their stores.

The Springfield Avenue Partnership, manager of the Springfield Avenue Special Improvement District, was established to create a stable, diverse and friendly commercial district that provides for the needs of the local community and brings new visitors to the shopping district.

For more information, including a list of participating Springfield Avenue businesses and restaurants, specific activities and performances for the October 31 st Healthy HarvestFest and Harvest Walk, call the Partnership at 973-763-6011 or visit the Springfield Avenue Partnership's web site, www.springfieldavenue.com.