Miles for Matheny Has Become Tradition For Bedminster Family

Surrounding James Wild, clockwise from left are:
occupational therapist Veronica Armellino;
speech-language pathologist Mary Heavey;
physical therapist Leah Gordon; Matheny School
teacher Peggy Zappulla; Steve, Cathleen,
six-year-old Molly, Caitlyn and three-year-old
Erin Parker.

The Parker family of Bedminster has been participating in Miles for Matheny for five years, but this year there will be new wrinkle. Nine-year-old Cathleen will be graduating from the kids fun run to the 5K, joining her mother, Caitlyn. The best thing about the annual fundraiser and community event, says Caitlyn, is that, “it brings out the whole community. We see lots of other families there because everyone loves coming out to support Matheny.” After Caitlyn completes the 5K, the whole family traditionally joins the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk. Caitlyn is a member of Bedminster Board of Education, and her husband, Steve, is on the Bedminster Township Committee. The Parkers visited Matheny on Friday, March 5, to find out how they can help publicize the event among their Bedminster neighbors, and, while there, they met 16-year-old Matheny student, James Wild, son of Bedminster resident, Cathy Wild.

This year’s Miles for Matheny will be held on Sunday, April 18, at Natirar Park in Peapack and will be dedicated to Lu Huggins, one of the event’s founders and a resident of Basking Ridge, who died in August 2009. In addition to the kids fun run, 5K and wheelchair walk, it will include five different cycling routes and a celebration picnic held at Matheny. Title sponsor is sanofi-aventis, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies whose U.S. corporate headquarters is located in Bridgewater. All funds raised will support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and people with disabilities in the community.

For more information or to register, log onto www.milesformatheny.org.

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