Friendship Circle holds gala banquet for LifeTown
search
home page

Friendship Circle holds gala banquet for LifeTown

May 29, 2025, 11:00 am Edit
Rabbi Levi and Esty Grossbaum, Assemblywoman Rosie Bagolie, State Senator John McKeon, Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, and Toba Grossbaum (Courtesy Friendship Circle)
Rabbi Levi and Esty Grossbaum, Assemblywoman Rosie Bagolie, State Senator John McKeon, Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, and Toba Grossbaum (Courtesy Friendship Circle)

More than 600 friends and supporters gathered on May 12 at LifeTown in Livingston to celebrate at the Friendship Circle’s annual gala.

This year’s banquet honored New Jersey State Senator John McKeon, Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, Bonnie and Stuart Kotler of Citrin Cooperman, and Liat and Laurent Morali of Kushner Companies. The gala also paid tribute to the late Gloria and Jesse Weissberg.

Guests had an elaborate buffet dinner and the opportunity to explore the LifeTown

“Oftentimes when you’re a parent of a special needs child you feel very alone,” Assemblywoman Bagolie said. “I feel like I am in a place where not only my family is welcomed but all the children feel loved. It’s a place everyone can come and feel embraced by community.”

The program began with a video highlighting Meghan Henderson, a woman living with scleroderma, and Fred and Ronnye Schreiber, who lost their only son to ALS. Through their volunteer work at LifeTown, they formed a deep and lasting bond.

“Fred came over to me the first time I volunteered and said hello. We started chatting about my wheelchair,” Ms. Henderson said. “It progressed to us emailing each other and visiting each other. And now, he’s like our family. No, he is our family.”

Ms. Henderson and Fred and Ronnye Schreiber are just a few of the 1,500 volunteers who bring LifeTown to life each day. “Our volunteers’ presence, commitment, and enthusiasm are irreplaceable,” Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, CEO of Friendship Circle and LifeTown, said. “Their actions reverberate far beyond the walls, creating ripples of kindness and change. LifeTown is not just a facility, it’s a sanctuary of belonging. Here, no one is defined by a diagnosis or a label. Barriers fall away and differences fade. What emerges is joy, connection, and a powerful sense of shared purpose. In a fractured world, LifeTown is an oasis where unity is nurtured, kindness takes the lead, and hope finds a home.”

Friendship Circle provides support for children, teens, and young adults with special needs and their families and volunteer opportunities for teens. For information, go to www.fcnj.com

read more:
comments