Annual Report 2016
OUR MISSION
Push to Walk is a non-profit organization that
provides individualized workouts and resources to
people with spinal cord injuries and other forms of
paralysis to optimize current quality of life and to
prepare for future medical advancements.
www.pushtowalknj.org
100 Bauer Drive Oakland, NJ 07436 201-644-7567
2016 HIGHLIGHTS
Completing its 10
th
full year of service to the paralysis community, Push to Walk continues to
discover new populations to benefit from its program.
9 clients were granted Scholarship Funds to continue their workouts and progress.
Push to Walk moved to 7,435 square feet of space in Oakland, NJ in October 2016.
Casino Night, Team Push to Walk at the NJ Marathon, and our Golf Outing were successful events
once again.
Relationships with William Paterson University, Montclair State University, and Ramapo College
strengthened with the placement of 9 students for internships.
Received the first-ever Leadership Initiative major gift of $20,000 from a loyal long-time
supporter.
County of Morris granted over $40,000 from 2014-2016 to help fund Push to Walk workouts
for county residents. We thank the program staff for their generous and passionate support.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Throughout my first year as Executive Director, I cannot help but be amazed at how far Push to Walk
has come in such a short period. Push to Walk began 2016 in its Riverdale location where it spent
eight years helping those living with paralysis. By the middle of October, we moved to our new home
in Oakland, providing our clients with a larger, more open gym floor, and updated facilities to help
them work towards their individual goals.
This past year also saw the retirement of our Founder and President, Cynthia Templeton, after ten
years spent growing Push to Walk to its current level of success. Shortly before her retirement, I had
the pleasure of joining the Push to Walk family. Since I first had the fortune to walk through our front
doors, I have been continuously overwhelmed by the levels of dedication and hard work I see from
our clients and staff every day.
While we are proud of our history, we have our eyes set firmly on the future. Since moving to Oakland
we have seen increased interest in our specialized workout program amongst both potential clients
and potential supporters. We have started to collaborate with a greater number of partners that will
lead to a direct benefit for the clients we serve. We have secured more diverse funding from a greater
number of supporters that will help keep our program affordable for our clients.
We are excited about the recent developments experienced at Push to Walk, but we feel this is only
the beginning. Looking towards the future, Push to Walk is taking steps that will provide a better pro-
gram for our current clients and attract new clients who would benefit from our program. This past
year was busy for us here at Push to Walk, but in 2017 we are looking forward to an even busier year
helping those living with paralysis!
Dave Font
Client, Mike, walking in the GHS Walker with
trainers, Chris and Jen.
OUR FOCUS
Client Centered Services: Individualized exercise programs focused on
“activity-based training” are the core of our program. Workouts are designed
to focus on specific goals of the client.
Counseling and Support: We offer guidance through phone calls, emails and
meetings to help people navigate through their new situations.
Community Partnerships: Push to Walk works with many organizations to
jointly benefit the people we serve.
Advocacy for Care & Cure: Realizing that exercise alone is not a “cure” for the
diagnoses we see, our staff members are constantly educating themselves
about research and treatments applicable to our clients.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You are the key to clients’ success at Push to Walk! Please keep those gifts
coming, from personal donations and volunteer service to employer matching
gifts, corporate partnerships, stock donations and gifts-in-kind. Thank you for
supporting clients on their journey to better health!
2016 BOARD MEMBERS
Susan Aceti, Victor Barton, Kevin Begley, Kenneth Bostwick,
Anne Connor, Ellen Duffy, Steve Jekogian, Helene Kennedy,
Mariana Lamson, Deborah Perelmuter, Eric Segal, Bob Snyder,
and Paul Sutor
FINANCIALS
We raised $759,956 in 2016 and spent it as follows:
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
can sit with no assistance
can transfer independently
can drive
are employed or
enrolled in school
FACTS & FIGURES
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
“When Push to Walk first opened, we were about five clients strong
and located in a small strip mall store front. It was a tiny place - you
couldn’t even fit two wheelchairs, side by side, between the equip-
ment - but it worked. Since then, we’ve picked up nearly 60 clients, a
dozen trainers and aides…. Our sessions are valuable and we want
to get the most out of them that we can….The clients and the staff
are all looking forward to this new chapter [in the Oakland gym]. We
will be able to do things we never thought possible. Thank you to
everyone for supporting us and helping us to continue to offer such
an amazing, invaluable service.”
– Kelly, Client at the 2016 Golf Outing Raise Your Paddle
DIAGNOSIS OF CLIENTS
WE SERVE
RECOGNIZING OUR SUPPORTERS
Justin Agamie
Michele Andersen
Samy Asaad
Kathy Bain
Joseph Baratta
Todd Bauer
Bob Belsky
The Boeing Company
Mark Borghese
Donna Christman
Columbia Bank Foundation
Joseph Cucci
John Daly
Brandon Dunne
Hope & Neil Edelman
Mary Fasciano
Ronald Fazio
Robert Finamore
Joe Fiorenzo
David Font
Roger Drew
John & Stephanie Gervasio
Marge Giles
Keith Hanson
Nina Hoffman
Pat Hollenstein
Maureen Holly
Thomas Homcy
Gary & Cindy Jannarone
Kansky Law Offices LLC
Martin & Ingrid Kupetz
Cheryl Lequeux
Helena Lionheart
Lookin’ Good Haircutters
Greg & Michele Magnotta
Ian Majka
The Mangiafridda Family
Alex & Mary Ann Martello
Paul Martello
Sheila Martello
Ann & Michael McLoughlin
Jeff & Elizabeth Meola
David Miller
Neal Jon Mills
Chris Modrzynski
Lynne Munn
Danielle Paganuzzi
Bill Panagia
Mike & Melissa Petracca
Al & Joie Piro
Rodger Pisani
Ploger Crane SVC Inc.
Poor Herbie’s
Joseph Racamato
Peter & Michele Rensvold
Elnora & Angelo Robertiello
Royal Printing Service
Neal Schmidt
Joe Simontacchi
Louis Smith
Donald & Marjorie Thompson
John Van Orden
Derek Vannelli
Susan Wilson
Joan & Don Zief
Susan & Tony Aceti
ADPP Enterprises, Inc.
David Andrews
Mark & Debbie Andrews
Millicent Anisfield
Bill & Debbie Boniface
John & Alice Burdi
Carl Stahl Sava Industries, Inc.
Cintas
Carol & John Cornwell
Brenda & Raymond Crema
George & Margaret Derrick
Wesley Dunne
Zahra Elmekkawy
Mimi & Ed Feliciano
Carl Flar
Scott & Michelle Foley
Angelina Fornelos
Ron Franks
Paul & Christine Fuhs
The Guarascio Family
Susan Hatzopoulos
The Laurel Guild Community Church
of Smoke Rise
Lorbin Painting, LLC
Nick Losquadro
Kevin Lynch
Madison BPO Elks Lodge #1465
Donna & Glenn Magid
Ryan Magid
John & Marlene Marozzi
John McLennan III
John Meola
Metro Business Alliance
Tom Mongelli
Robert Mulligan
Domingo Pacheco
Joe Ragno
Brian Sackett
Norman & Bettina Roberts Foundation
Brian Sackett
Richard Thomas Sensbach
State Farm Companies Foundation
Paul & Nancy Sutor
Michael & Jill Tanenbaum
Kate Wolfe
Lois & Jim Wylie
Scott Yarosz
Accuecar.com
ADP: Automatic Data Processing Inc.
Michele Andersen
Victor Barton
Kevin & Jodi Begley
Janice Bell
Bielski & Bielski, LLC
Ken Bostwick & Matt Cotton
The Chinchar Family
Community Foundation of New Jersey
Chubb & Son
Anne & Joseph Connor
Bob & Maureen Daly
Ellen & Thomas Duffy
Charlie & Dawn Dunne
Mallory Garvin
Anthony Giampietro
Mario Giovatto
Anthony Grosso
IMS Health Inc.
Nick Jekogian
Steve & Lynn Jekogian
Jordache Enterprises
David & Heather Kahl
Richard Kobylarz
Mariana & Robert Lamson
Bill & Laura Orologio
Robert Parker
Phyllis & Lewis Sank
Liz & Ed Schecter
Schumacher Chevrolet of Denville
Schwab Charitable Foundation
Sun Mergers & Acquisitions
Morris & Charlotte Tanenbaum
Family Foundation
Truist
U.S. Professional Tennis Association
Vincent Zullo
Scott Barna
Mike & Carol Clarke
James Jarosik & Deborah Perelmuter
Lakeland Bank
Pepsi-Cola & Canada Dry Bottling
Company of New York
Helene & John Kennedy
Ralph Rathyen & Barbara Purdy
Route 23 Auto Mall
Robert & Amanda Snyder
Cynthia & John Templeton
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Millennium Technologies
Valley Hospital Foundation
Village Supermarket, Inc.
William & Gloria Daly
S. Rubenstein Family Foundation
County of Morris
$10,000+
$5,000+
$2,500+
$1,000+
$500+
$250+
