Supporters of LADACIN Network, a local nonprofit, have found a new way to Plunge into 2021 and enhance the lives of people with disabilities. The LADACIN Virtual Plunge will kick off on Jan. 16 and run through January 30.
Instead of the traditional Plunge, it is a year to get creative with unique cold weather challenges wherever one may choose. Costumes are encouraged as well as any other chilly provisions needed to make LADACIN’s 2021 Plunge stand out, according to a press release.
The event will support LADACIN’s educational, therapeutic, social, residential and support services for more than 3,500 infants, children and adults with complex physical and developmental disabilities or delays living in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
There will be contests and challenges announced and prizes will be awarded. Pictures and videos of the unique and creative plunges can be sent to communityrelations@ladacin.org or #ladacinplunge2021 so they can be shared with all Plunge supporters.
To sponsor the event, make a donation online or create an individual fundraising page, visit https://www.ladacin.org/details/2021ladacinvirtualplunge
Despite being canceled due to inclement weather, United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties’ Fall Tee-Off, scheduled for late October at the Hollywood Golf Club, Deal, was the organization’s most successful golf outing to date. The event raised $112,000 to support the organization’s programs in the areas of education, financial stability, and heath, according to a press release.
The fundraiser’s success was largely the result of a shift to an online sales platform for the event’s silent auction items and multi-prize raffle tickets, which was open to the public and not just attendees.
United Way of Monmouth and Ocean Counties is scheduled to host its next annual Tee-Off on May 17 at the Hollywood Golf Club. For more information, visit www.uwmoc.org
Gov. Phil Murphy has signed Executive Order No. 211, postponing the February 2021 fire district elections, the March 2021 special school elections, and all other special elections for filling vacancies to April 20, 2021.
“We will continue to hold elections to ensure that every citizen is able to have their voice heard in a safe matter during this unprecedented time,” Murphy was quoted as saying in a Dec. 21 press release.
“Today’s executive order will allow our local election officials to conserve time and resources, while also providing sufficient time to properly prepare for the upcoming elections,” he said.
A decision on how these elections will be held, whether all vote-by-mail, in-person, or through a hybrid of vote-by-mail and in-person, will be determined in the upcoming months, according to the press release.
The N.J. Health Care Networking Group, a free organization for anyone in the health care industry, is seeking hosts for its monthly 2021 meetings, held the second Wednesday of the month from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
The benefits of hosting include being a featured speaker for eight to 10 minutes; having a video featured on NJHCNET.com for an entire month leading up to the host’s event, and a prominent placement of the host’s video on the home page as a Member Spotlight on NJHCNET.com., Facebook, and Instagram with the capability to share on the host’s sites.
Virtual hosts will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Individuals and companies interested in hosting a meeting may contact Lisa Gallicchio, director of community relations for Preferred Home Health Care and Nursing Services, Eatontown, at lisa@preferredcares.com
Legislation enabling New Jersey’s largest health insurer to take advantage of innovations and medical advances for its members while still retaining its charitable mission along with stabilizing premiums was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy on Dec. 23.
The law (formerly bill A-5119) allows Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of New Jersey to form a not-for-profit mutual holding company that can make critical investments while still insuring members under a health insurance subsidiary, according to a press release from the New Jersey Assembly Democrats.
“This is a brilliant way to let Horizon be a part of the cutting-edge healthcare innovations that will improve the well-being of New Jersey residents while preserving the company’s not-for-profit status,” Assemblywoman Joann Downey (D-Monmouth) said.
“By reorganizing in this manner, Horizon would still be the charitable insurer so many families rely on, but would also be free to help promote medical advances that everyone can benefit from. This is a win-win for the entire state,” Downey said.
If reorganized, Horizon BCBS would continue to be under the supervision of the Department of Banking and Insurance, with expansive oversight by the state Attorney General.
Upon establishment of the not-for-profit mutual holding company, Horizon BCBS would be required to pay a one-time, initial assessment of $600 million to the state treasury and pay an additional $625 million to the state over 17 years after its reorganization, according to the press release.
