MENDHAM – With the 4th annual NJ Walks For TS at Mendham now less than a month away, the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) has announced the formation of an Honorary Committee for the event, which is scheduled to take place Saturday, November 23, at Borough Park.
The walk will be a day of advocacy, awareness, acceptance and action geared toward raising funds to support educating students and teachers about TS, anti-bullying initiatives and other important information across the Garden State.
To that end, support has been pouring in from all corners of the state, with each Honorary Committee member demonstrating their firm support for NJCTS and the 1 in 100 kids and families living with Tourette Syndrome – an inherited, misdiagnosed, misunderstood neurological disorder characterized by involuntary sounds and movements known as tics. The Honorary Committee members, as of October 25, are:
- Tim Howard, starting goalkeeper for the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team. Howard is a noted TS advocate and longtime volunteer for NJCTS who has conducted numerous fundraising efforts for Tourette advocacy programs and subsequently been honored at an NJCTS gala at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
- Craig Carton, radio host on WFAN Sports Talk Radio. Carton has spoken at an NJCTS dinner at Rutgers University, is an Honorary Member of the NJCTS Board of Directors and has been a generous longtime supporter of the organization.
- Dr. Jay Tischfield, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey. Dr. Tischfield is the director NJCTS Cell & DNA Sharing Repository at Rutgers University and has been an instrumental part of the process to develop federal Tourette Syndrome legislation.
- N.J. Senator Kip Bateman (R), representing District 16. Senator Bateman played an integral role in helping NJCTS receive its first funding from the State of New Jersey and annually provides the organization with a Governor’s proclamation for Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month (May 15 to June 15).
- Dr. Robert King, Yale Child Study Center and Yale TS/OCD Clinic. Dr. King collaborates with NJCTS on worldwide genetics research studies, while also screening and consulting with families interested in participating in this landmark project.
- N.J. Senator Mike Doherty (R), representing District 23. Senator Doherty has been a visitor to the Family Retreat Weekend at YMCA Camp Bernie, taking time to listen to the stories of TS families.
- Dr. Stuart Green, Overlook Medical Center in Summit. Dr. Green was the primary contributor to New Jersey’s landmark anti-bullying legislation and provides leadership in the ongoing development of NJCTS’ Patient-Centered Medical Education program.
- N.J. Senator Anthony R. Bucco (R), representing District 25. Senator Bucco’s district has played host to NJ Walks for TS at Mendham since 2010 and is called home by many of NJCTS’ longtime support group coordinators.
- Rebecca Spar, Esq., educational rights attorney for Cole Shotz of Hackensack. Spar provides continuing counsel to NJCTS through its statewide education outreach program on behalf of the 1 in 100 kids and families affected by Tourette Syndrome.
- N.J. Senator Loretta Weinberg (D), representing District 37. Senator Weinberg is the Vice-Chair of the New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and a longtime supporter of NJCTS and the Tourette Syndrome community.
- Congressman Albio Sires (D), Representative for N.J. District 8. When Congressman Sires was the New Jersey General Assembly Speaker, he helped obtain funding to create the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders, and as Congressman, Representative Sires introduced the first federal TS legislation.
- N.J. Assemblyman Troy Singleton (D), representing District 7. Assemblyman Singleton’s district has hosted Tourette Syndrome support groups and is the home of many families who regularly utilize NJCTS’ programs and services.
- Congressman Leonard Lance (R), Representative for N.J. District 7. Representative Lance has been a longtime NJCTS champion both as a Congressman and as a New Jersey State Senator, participating in several roundtable discussions with Tourette families and co-sponsoring the federal TS legislation.
- N.J. Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R), representing District 16. Assemblyman Ciattarelli has toured the NJCTS Cell & DNA Sharing Repository at Rutgers University and supported the organization’s efforts to educate child study team personnel in schools both in his district and across the state.
- Congressman Rush Holt (D), Representative for N.J. District 12. Congressman Holt has held multiple meetings with NJCTS kids and families from his district and is a supporter and co-sponsor of the federal Tourette Syndrome legislation.
- N.J. Assemblywoman Donna Simon (R), representing District 16. Assemblywoman Simon has toured the NJCTS Cell & DNA Sharing Repository at Rutgers University and is scheduled to attend a school in-service and Patient-Centered Medical Education presentation in the near future.
- Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R), Representative for N.J. District 11. Congressman Frelinghuysen’s district is home to NJ Walks for TS at Mendham and many Tourette Syndrome families, and the Congressman always has been a stalwart supporter of those families and NJCTS.
- N.J. Senator Stephen Sweeney (D), representing District 3. Senator Sweeney’s district has hosted Tourette Syndrome support groups, as well as faculty and peer in-service presentations over the past several years.
- N.J. Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco (R), representing District 25. Assemblyman Bucco’s district is home to the NJCTS Parent Connection at Morris/Sussex, which meets bi-monthly at St. Clare’s Hospital in Denville.
- N.J. Senator Diane Allen (R), representing District 7. Senator Allen’s district has been the location of Tourette advocacy by countless families. The Senator also is a longtime supporter of NJCTS.
- N.J. Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi (R), representing District 39. Assemblywoman Schepisi was on the Honorary Committee for NJ Walks for TS at Ramapo on April 14, 2013, and took time out of her busy schedule to speak at the well-attended event.
- N.J. Senator Richard J. Codey (D), representing District 27. Senator Codey has been honored at an NJCTS gala event at Rutgers University for his work on behalf of Tourette Syndrome and associated mental health disorders. Over the years, he has been instrumental in garnering support for the organization.
“The New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome thanks each of these esteemed Honorary Committee members for their extensive support,” NJCTS Executive Director Faith W. Rice said, “and it is my hope that each of you joins them in standing up for kids with TS by being a part of NJ Walks For TS at Mendham on November 23.”
To register for NJ Walks For TS at Mendham, click here. Through October 31, the cost is $22.50. From November 1 through the day of the event, the cost is $25. To donate to or fundraise for this event, click here. More information about NJCTS or Tourette Syndrome is available by calling 908-575-7350 or by visiting www.njcts.org.
