PARK RIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) A New Jersey community is showing love and support for its first responders.<\/p>\n
Some were up all night preparing a barbecue for charity.<\/p>\n
It was a day of giving in Park Ridge. <\/p>\n
Fresh wood was placed into a hot fire pit, where fresh food was prepared for COVID-19 front line workers. <\/p>\n
Maintaining a safe distance, dozens of volunteers went to work, cooking and cutting hundreds of pizzas and barbecuing close to 1,000 pounds of pulled pork and grilled chicken.<\/p>\n
They then put all the meals into boxes to feed 1,500 health care employees and first responders.<\/p>\n
Steven Rich organized the event to support those fighting to save others.<\/p>\n
Its our way of saying thank you, Rich told CBS2s Cory James. Theyre a lot braver than me.<\/p>\n
It all started Friday night with volunteers preparing the fire pits.<\/p>\n
Volunteers, like Elyssa Lovett, came together for one cause.<\/p>\n
This mission hit home for Lovett because her brother was on a ventilator and nearly died from the virus.<\/p>\n
Hes my big brother. Hes a 400-pound man whos always been stronger than everybody. Its five weeks later and hes still laying in a bed and eating applesauce, she said.<\/p>\n
As she ran pizzas from the oven, local heroes started lining up in cars to get food.<\/p>\n
Some were even loaded into volunteer vehicles and delivered to nearby hospitals.<\/p>\n
CORONAVIRUS:NY Health Dept.| NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 |NYC Health Dept. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ Health Dept. | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211 |CT Health Dept.| CT Call 211<\/p>\n
It makes me feel good. I think people take for granted sometimes what they have right around the corner from them, firefighter Robert Paller said.<\/p>\n
An outpouring of support that shows no matter where you are in the country, people from all over are uniting as one to help.<\/p>\n
Its been a trying time but Im very proud of our community, Park Ridge Mayor Keith Misciagna said.<\/p>\n
A message that did not go missed.<\/p>\n
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See original here:<\/p>\n
NJ Community Feeds Hundreds Of Health Care Workers, First Responders Through Charity Barbecue - CBS New York<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PARK RIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) A New Jersey community is showing love and support for its first responders. Some were up all night preparing a barbecue for charity Continue reading