Alice Nagy, an oncology nurse at Valley Hospital, and her daughter Jessica, a senior at Verona High School, organized “Kicking for a Cure”, a kickboxing fundraiser that generated $1,000 for Hearts of Hope. Since Jessica Nagy was an elementary school student under art teacher Joni Jasterzbski (“Mrs. J” to students at Brookdale and F.N. Brown schools), she has painted for Hearts of Hope.
During the past six years, Mrs. J has inspired her students to create and distribute thousands of Hearts of Hope–beautiful hand-painted ceramic hearts with inspiring messages of hope. These gifts have been delivered to area cancer centers where they have been received with much gratitude and love. Jessica Nagy has in turn inspired her fellow classmates at VHS to create hearts as well.
In October, Alice and Jessica Nagy organized “Kicking or a Cure” at CKO Kickboxing in West Caldwell. “What a great time we had kicking for a cure,” says Alice Nagy. “I’m so pleased with the generosity of my gym!” Of the $1,000 raised, 400 Hearts of Hope will be prepared by Verona High School students as gifts for cancer patients and $200 will be applied toward Hearts of Hope’s “Art of Hope” capital campaign.
“Way to go, Verona” wrote Pedersen, “and thanks to this amazing mother/daughter team!” For more information about Hearts of Hope, see its Web site or call 973-224-6900.
