One of the most gratifying aspects of being the Mayor of Voorhees Township is having the opportunity to witness and be part of so many wonderful causes.
Chad Gunther was a passionate young man who loved sports and loved kids. He grew up in Cherry Hill and graduated from Cherry Hill East High School. He excelled in all sports, but ice hockey was his passion. He played ice hockey all four years in high school and was on the Philadelphia Flyers travel team. Chad also enjoyed teaching hockey and baseball to children.
Chad and his family moved to Centennial Mill in Voorhees and immediately fell in love with our community. He loved playing half ball and football with his neighbors and shared his youthful spirit.
Chad left this world on Feb. 8, 2009 at the tender age of 28. As a tribute to him, his family established the Chad Gunther Memorial Fund, a non-profit organization that helps children in the South Jersey area. Since its inception, the organization has provided college scholarships for members of the Boys and Girls Club of America, helped over 300 children in Camden by sponsoring the “Below the Rim” Basketball Program, outfitted youth teams with uniforms and equipment, supported afterschool programs at Camden’s Promise Charter School and provided food, including turkeys, during the holidays to those less fortunate.
Last year, the organization helped fund a scoreboard for the Gibbsboro/Voorhees Athletic Association.
The organization will continue its mission with the 6th Annual Chad Gunther Memorial Dinner on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the E Lounge, 807 Route 70 West in Cherry Hill. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. and will include music by The Thursday Night Band followed by dinner and dancing at 7 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by The Rivers Rockabilly Trio. Tickets are $55 per person.
This year, the organization plans to use some of the funds raised to assist community programs in Gibbsboro and Voorhees as well as the Bancroft Special Olympics.
Tickets can be purchased by contacting Peter Oteri at peterjoteri@me.com, Sherry Berman- Robinson at sbermanrobinson@aol.com, Leona Oriolo at syzygy2759@aol.com, Larry Winitsky at larwin@verizon.net or Steve Becker at stevebecker91 1 @msn.com. Donations can be made to the Chad Gunther Memorial Fund at P.O. Box 404, Voorhees, New Jersey 08043.
Please join us at this wonderful event to celebrate the life of Chad Gunther!
Our Summer Twilight Series concludes with our annual Movie Night in the Park on Saturday, Sept. 13. Disney’s popular movie Frozen will be shown on a state of the art digital LED screen. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Connolly Park and is free.
The Voorhees Animal Orphanage will hold its 18th Annual Woofstock on Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Connolly Park. The event will feature festivities for animal lovers of all ages and their leashed pets, as well as an appearance by the Mummers and Master Chef Joseph Poon. Crafters and vendors are welcome. Admission is $1 donation but senior citizens and children under 5 are free. For more information about Woofstock or the Animal Orphanage, visit www.theanimalorphanage.org.
