Hillsborough Tie Leads to Fundraising Web Page

Although Lisa Conturso of Belle Mead and Melanie Glick-Santiago of Freehold had worked for the same company–Hillsborough-based nutritional ingredient produce –for several years, they only became good friends about one and a half years ago. That’s how Glick-Santiago learned about Conturso’s daughter, Dina, who is a residential student at the Matheny Medical and Educational Center, a special hospital and educational facility in Peapack for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities.

“When Melanie found out about my daughter,” Conturso recalls, “she decided to create a Web page for Miles for Matheny in order to get people to contribute money and participate in the event.”

Miles for Matheny is an annual fundraiser and community event being held April 22 in downtown Peapack. Activities include a 5K Race, five Cycling Courses and a Kids Fun Run. But the signature event is the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk in which more than 100 wheelchair participants, with walking partners, travel 1.5 miles around town. Conturso and Glick-Santiago will be there along with other friends and supporters.

As of April 5, Glick-Santiago's webpage "Pay it Forward" had raised $685 online.

“I consider the kids at Matheny my children,” she says.

She says the team name of Pay it Forward means , “Do something kind for somebody.”

All funds raised at Miles for Matheny help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny’s inpatients and people with disabilities in the community.

For more information or to register, log onto www.milesformatheny.org. To support Pay it Forward, click on "Search for Participant" and type in the team name.