Russ Berrie Awards 2018 - Part 3

During part three of this three-part special, Steve Adubato goes on-location to the 2018 Russ Berrie "Making a Difference Awards" to talk with extraordinary unsung heroes who change lives of New Jersey residents through community service and kindness.

Guests Include:

Edrick Alleyne, 2018 Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference Honoree
Toba Grossbaum, Founder & COO, Friendship Circle of New Jersey
Chip Paillex, President & Founder, America’s Grow-a-Row
Rev. Mildred Farrar, Founder, Millie’s Place
Angelica Berrie, President, The Russell Berrie Foundation

7/27/18 #2152

Excerpt:

"Hi, this is Steve Adubato. This in fact is the afterparty, if you will, the after event, the 22nd annual Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award. This event is something I've been a part of from day one. It is extraordinary. The people you're about to meet are the honorees we recognize this year, 11 honorees. Past honorees who've come back to talk about the difference that they continue to make, how their organizations have grown, how they've partnered with others to try to have a greater impact. The whole idea, the whole concept behind this is making a difference. That's what our late, great friend Russ Berrie taught us a long time ago, when these awards were created. Angelica Berrie, the President of the Russ Berrie Foundation, you'll see her in this special as well. That's what she talks about. She talks about having a ripple effect, making a difference. These people are amazing. They've come through so much to give back to others. I'm confident that your view of the world, your view of people will be changed, in what you're about to see right now. Alright, check this out. This is Edrick Alleyne, who is from Eatontown, New Jersey, and it's interesting. A lot of people here, Edrick, run organizations, not-for-profits, they're recognized by the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award committee. Your story's a little bit different. You were down at the Jersey Shore, tell us what happens. Down at the Jersey Shore, Friday night, I take the kids to the park, usually we get dinner, go for ice cream at the lighthouse, hanging out at the park, somebody ran up, a guy ran up, he said, "My nephew! My nephew!" He was in the ocean? Yes, absolutely. Nephew in the ocean, and we're thinking it's, you know, a little kid, because you only can see the person's head. So we run - I run over... I run down to the beach, there's about, maybe like, 15 people down there. And he's floating out... he's going out further and further and further, so I... first I try to jump in, and then I got hit by a wave. Then I said to myself, "I've seen a current." And I've seen how, like, it was a rip current. You can see, I was pulling him. And he was ducking the waves. So I went in, and I couldn't... like I got hit with the wave, then I followed him..."