Local Students Organize Boot Camp for Veteran's Cancer Care

In commemoration of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, four local high school students raised more than $2,000 for U.S. Veterans Health Cancer Care at an exercise boot camp held recently in Fairfield.

The event was organized by Briella and Mariella Meglio of Essex Fells and Cori Lardieri and Amanda Bettin of West Caldwell.

The students promoted and operated the boot camp. The two-hour event provided intense exercise instruction to both men and women under the guidance of exercise instructor Paula Galvano of Fitness by Paula located in West Caldwell.     

June Mayer, RN, APM, the Program Manager for the Women’s Health Program  at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital of New Jersey was present and accepted the donation on behalf of the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in East Orange.

The $2,032 in donations raised by the students will be used to provide educational materials on cancer awareness and to promote women’s cancer  inpatient and outpatient medical programs available through the Veteran’s Administration. In addition the students collected $1,000 worth of toiletries to be given to veterans.