This week, Township Administrator Mark Gravinese reflects on volunteerism in Harrison Township
I am honored to have this week’s message come from our Township Administrator Mark Gravinese. This “most wonderful time of the year” is spent with family and loved ones. As Hanukkah ends and Christmas week begins, we send wishes of joy and peace to our Mullica Hill family.
“It is hard to believe I have been at my post for seven years and 20 days. Let me start out by saying, I love my job. Let me repeat that… I love my job. Challenging it is at times, but having the opportunity to help those in our community and having the opportunity in making a difference is something I really love about my job. I have been blessed with a community that really does care and is always ready to help those in need. More than the seven-plus years on my job I have met amazing people who, like myself, have taken the route of volunteering for just about everything under the sun. If you ask my neighbors, they run when they see me, often so l don’t solicit them to volunteer for yet another community event, help a resident in need or perhaps just spend a couple of hours donating time for cleaning up our parks. They have all exhibited the spirit of volunteerism on a regular basis. Being a lifelong volunteer myself growing up in Philadelphia, my parents set the pace for me and my brothers early on to give back to the community in every way possible. Moving to Mullica Hill almost 25 years ago was one of the best things my wife Gretchen and I have done. This community has lots to offer and continues to be a place to live and raise a family.
I spent a lot of time in a number of organizations volunteering, but the one that really made me feel proud was the Recreation Commission. If fact, my wife Gretchen started out on the Recreation Commission soon after we moved to Harrison and yes, I was the quickly recruited as the “spouse volunteer” (meaning once your spouse is a volunteer, you now become one as well). That is not a bad thing, but a tradition that continues even today; it truly becomes a family experience. Today, like in the past, a dedicated group of volunteers map out the annual events that include events for the whole community. These events still fuel the dedicated volunteers who plan and execute programs for our entire community. To speak of just a few, we have our annual Harrison Township Day, which has a long tradition of bringing our community together for family fun and entertainment. The biggest event now is our award winning Lights on Main production that just keeps on growing. This past November event attracted more than 8,000 guests. The most amazing thing about these two events is they are completely organized and implemented by dedicated volunteers. Our township teams, police department, fire district and our valued Business Association members also support these events.
I would also like to acknowledge we have a key person to help organize the team of volunteers, and that is Sharon Chew, our recreational coordinator. She has been a key contributor over the years. Together, we continue to offer amazing events completely on the shoulder of our volunteers.
Volunteerism is defined in Dictionary.com as the policy or practice of volunteering one’s time or talents for charitable, educational or other worthwhile activities, especially in one’s community. Volunteerism is the core make-up of Harrison Township. I am very proud of our township and humbled to serve in a leadership role where I will continue to strive to make our community the best in South Jersey.
Wishing all of our valued residents and businesses happy holidays and a joyous New Year!”
Mark Gravinese, township administrator
