By Allison Perrine
RED BANK – Many people will remember the popular “ice bucket challenge” from a few years ago in which people across social media platforms poured buckets of ice water over their heads to promote awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS disease.
Now HABcore is asking people to do something similar, this time in support of frontline heroes in the COVID-19 fight. And in a much less cold and wet way.
Frontline heroes have been working hard throughout the pandemic to help those infected with the coronavirus and support community members and local economies. To give back, the Red Bank-based nonprofit, along with partners Bridging the Gap and America Salutes You, is asking people to champion these essential workers in a Frontline Heroes Challenge on social media.
“You just have to be yourself and do you,” said Marta Quinn, senior director of development for HABcore. That could mean running a mile for the frontline heroes or reading a book in their honor. It could mean dedicating a post to the educators, doctors or grocery store employees “who have never stopped working one minute of this pandemic,” she said. “The frontline heroes are all of us. It’s our families, it’s our kids.”
Anyone can join in on the fun. Record a video showing a favorite athletic or artistic pastime and add a personal message: “I support our Frontline Heroes.” Videos can be submitted on any social media platform – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and others – with the #FrontlineHeroesChallenge hashtag. Posters should also tag three others as a challenge to participate.
In addition to the video, charitable donations of any amount can be made to America Salutes You and will later be distributed to various nonprofit organizations.
“We want to shift the temperment of the world back to positivity,” said Quinn. “We want a good message, a happy message, a positive. I understand all of the things going on in the world, but right now we need care and hope and faith more than ever.”
The challenge will run Aug. 1 through Oct. 29, ending with a benefit concert in Nashville, Tennessee. All of the donated net proceeds will be given to nonprofit organizations including America Salutes You, HABcore, Bridging the Gap, Feeding America, Play Yellow and Warrior Angels Foundation. These groups provide services for a variety of communities, including veterans, police, behavioral health and wellness, food banks, domestic abuse prevention, ending homelessness and more.
Representing the beneficiaries are Quinn and Steve Heisman of HABcore; Mike Ferraro of Bridging the Gap; Bob Okun of America Salutes You; Fulfill, formerly the Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties; Adam McIndoe of Warrior Angels Foundation; and Play Yellow. Founders include Quinn, Ferraro, Okun and McIndoe.
Professional athlete representatives involved are Vince Papale of the Philadelphia Eagles; Rick Peterson of the New York Mets; Jim Dowd of the New Jersey Devils; and Brian Propp of the Philadelphia Flyers, among other athletes supporting the challenge.
“We feel like this kind of cause for this challenge is really important for our country. We felt like there’s no better time than right now to kind of change that conversation, to reinforce it, around patriotism,” said Mike Ferraro of Bridging the Gap, an organization that supports military veterans. He plans to shout out multiple organizations in his and his team’s challenge submission, a video of him playing golf – which he hasn’t had an opportunity to do yet this year, he said.
Similarly, Bob Okun of America Salutes You said he also plans to chip the golf ball in his video.
“We hope the individuals and families come together and express their appreciation to those who are on the frontline,” he said, while also bringing the country together “on a nonpartisan basis.”
And some national sponsors are participating as well, according to Quinn. That includes musicians like Eric Clapton, the U.S. military and more. Those who partake in the challenge will qualify for a VIP experience at the America Salutes You Benefit Concert in Nashville. Some of the participating public figures will share their messages that day as well.
To kick off the challenge Aug. 1, HABcore is hosting Zumba for the Frontline Heroes at Bell Works, 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to make a $30 donation to participate and must wear a mask. It is limited to 50 registrants and will include demonstrations from six instructors, Carolina Citta, Luis Delgado, Toni Gianatiempo, Sharon Maalouf, Jose Melendez and Nicole Regina. Participants will receive a frontline T-shirt and mask.
“This is truly about all of our communities in the nation,” Quinn said of the Frontline Heroes Challenge. “We are here for the heroes.”
The article originally appeared in the July 30 – August 5, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
