Ally’s Allies

Allyson Merer.

Donna and Barry Merer of Scotch Plains, NJ, have lots of friends who are “serious cyclists.” So they have a receptive audience when they promote Miles for Matheny, the annual fundraiser and community event being held April 22 at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack, NJ. The Merers have an even more compelling reason to support and fundraise for Miles. Their 20-year-old daughter Allyson is a residential student at Matheny.

“We’re thrilled with the care and love that Ally gets from everyone at Matheny,” says Donna Merer. “It fills such a need for families, providing the best care for children with disabilities. It’s a wonderful school and medical facility.”

Like most Miles participants, Merer is happy the event is moving back downtown and is looking forward to walking with her daughter in the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk.  She thinks it’s great to see people come out of their houses and cheer the Matheny students and patients. To help raise funds for the event, the Merers have formed a webpage, “Ally’s Allies” on the Miles for Matheny website, and they’re confident their cyclist friends will support the event. “They feel this sort of jump starts the cycling season,” Merer adds.

In addition to five Cycling Routes and the Wheelchair Walk, Miles activities include a 5K Race and a Kids Fun Run. All funds raised will help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to inpatients and people with disabilities in the community. Major sponsors are:  Poses Family Foundation; Affinity Federal Credit Union Foundation; Archer & Greiner P.C.; BP Fueling Communities; WCBS-TV/WCBS Newsradio 880; Partlow Insurance Agency; Peapack- Gladstone Bank; and Porzio Bromberg & Newman P.C.

For more information, log onto www.milesformatheny.org; to support Ally’s Allies, click on Search for Participant and type in the team name.