JULY 2020 FREE
COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
Young achiever
Ride for Runaways goes virtual
Ewing High junior honored by Mercer County for her volunteer work
BY NICOLE VIVIANO
The Anchor House annual 500-mile bike ride fundraiser has been reimagined into a virtual experience to cater to the current restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s Anchor House Virtual Ride for Runaways will mark the 42nd year of the massive fundraising event that brings in more than $500,000 for the year for the Trentonbased organization. “Everybody has their own goal,” COO of Anchor House Foundation Kathy Drulis said. “As much as they love biking and they love what we do, they so believe in Anchor House so that’s what has always made our event so successful.” This year’s change has brought many veteran participants back as well as new ones. Mark Smith has taken part in Anchor House’s traditional 500-mile trek for 30 years. To commemorate his years of commitment, Smith, a veterinarian at Hopewell Veterinary Group Inc., set a personal goal to raise $30,000, or $1,000 for every year he has participated. As of June 23, Smith raised $25,125 and pledged that if his donors help him raise within $1,000 of his goal that he will make up the difference. He has sent out 240 letters requesting donations. See RIDE, Page 6
BY JUSTIN FEIL
Ewing Council president Kevin Baxter speaks at a Black Lives Matter protest held on June 8 in Moody Park. (Photo by Mark Wetherbee.)
Ewing protests decry racism Floyd killing results in demonstrations and curfews BY BILL SANSERVINO
The ripples from the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 spread to Ewing Township on several occasions over the past month. On June 8, several hundred people gathered at Moody Park to protest the treatment of Black people in America by law enforcement. They also decried the country’s history of racism and discrimination in an effort to bring about more equitable treatment of all minorities.
“We’ve been dealing with these issues for a long time.” Ewing Council president Kevin Baxter, told the crowd. “We started off, unfortunately, with slavery. We’ve been through reconstruction, Jim Crow, Rodney King, Hurricane Katrina— do you remember how they treated us with Katrina?.. And now George Floyd.” Baxter suffers from sickle cell disease, which makes him more vulnerable to COVID-19 complications. He said that it was dangerous for him to be at the rally, but that his presence there showed how important he feels the issue is. “I’m willing to risk my life, because they’re taking people’s lives every day,” he said.
“If they don’t change this, it will be more than my life that will be gone. We’ll all be gone.” He said that the movement shouldn’t only be focusing on the treatment of Black people by police. They also need to look at inequality in the education system. “Let’s challenge the inadequacies in the school district,” he said. “I want us to also challenge the wealth disparity. Let’s start holding people accountable. Why can’t I get that job? I’m just as qualified.” Another rally was held 10 days later at the township municipal building on June 18 at which officials, including See PROTESTS, Page 3
A lifetime of giving and community service started for Namiaya Kelton with a coat when she was 8. Kelton was shopping for a new coat in the winter at JCPenny’s in the Quakerbridge Mall with her mother when she overheard another family talking about also getting a coat, except the other mother was telling her young girl that they were just looking. They did not have the money to get more than one coat for the young girl’s brother. “I thought since I was getting a new coat that day that I could give mine to her,” Kelton said. “All I was going to do was throw it out so I could give it to somebody that needed it.” Kelton had split away from her own mother when she walked up to the young girl and presented her own coat to her. Both of the mothers were blown away by the gesture. “As a parent, it’s quite surprising to find that your children do listen to you and you want to encourage it,” said Kelton’s mother, Tangela Wright. “I was quite in awe. This is her shining opportunity and she took advantage of it.” See KELTON, Page 4
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