Summit Concert To Benefit Shore Towns, Newtown Families

While the Jersey Shore is slowly being restored following the devastating destruction from Superstorm Sandy, there’s still much to be done. That’s why the City of Summit is teaming up with Investors Bank and Overlook Medical Center to support the New Jersey Fireman’s Benevolent Association’s Sandy Ground Project by presenting the Summit to the Short Concert Event.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., a Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band called “Parrotbeach” will play at this free concert on Summit’s Village Green to support the FMBA, which has pledged to build 26 playgrounds in cities ravaged by Sandy in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, said Judith Josephs, Director of Community Programs in Summit. The FMBA will dedicate those playgrounds to the 26 lives lost in the Newtown, Ct. school shootings. 

This concert is being hosted by Mayor Ellen Dickson and Councilman Robert Rubino.

“Both myself and Mayor Dickson had been talking about trying to do something for hurricane relief,” Josephs told Patch. “We knew with time passing by, people would start to forget that there’s still lots to be done. So I had become aware of the Sandy Ground Project and mentioned it to Mayor Dickson, and she thought it was a perfect combination to recognize the efforts of the FMBA and make a statement to Newtown, Ct. that we haven’t forgotten and there’s lots to do.”

Firefighters from Summit and across the state will be in attendance. Josephs said she and Mayor Dickson thought this concert event would be the perfect combination with Summit’s own fire department.

“Firefighter Tim Duetsch is the leader in the FMBA here in Summit. He got very excited about it so our own Summit FMBA has really embraced it,” Josephs told Patch.

On their time off, Josephs said the NJ FMBA members, including those from Summit, went to the shore to help rebuild homes, clean houses for disadvantaged and disabled residents, and offer hot meals and coffee to residents. 

“[This concert event is] a nice way to recognize what they did during Sandy,” Josephs said.

Josephs said she and her husband benefitted from the FMBA’s kindness as they were cleaning out their home in Lavallette after the storm. 

“We had no water, heat or coffee, and we went to the FMBA trailer. They gave us hot soup and chili, and told us funny stories,” Josephs said. “The inside story is my father, Fred Leblein, died very young. He was a Newark firefighter and he was a proud member of this group so I decided it’s time to do something for them. It’s personal for me, too.”

Josephs said representatives from Giordano Contracting, LLC, the contractor building the 26 playgrounds once the money is raised, will be at the concert. The Paul Davis Group, which has been sponsoring fire department efforts in shore ravaged towns, will also be represented. 

This concert, in addition to three others in the “Hot Summer Nights” Concert Series, are all free thanks to Investor’s Bank, Josephs said.

For the past five years, Investor’s Bank has sponsored this series. When Josephs contacted CEO Kevin Cummings about this Summit to the Shore Concert Event, he loved the idea. So did John Rosellini, Director of Business Development at Overlook Medical Center, Josephs said. Overlook Medical Center is also helping to foot the bill for this particular concert. 

Concertgoers can enjoy Jimmy Buffet music, a special rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by the New Jersey Pipes and Drums, free ice cream from Investor’s Bank, food from Pizza Vita and refreshments from Lizzmonade.

Community members are encouraged to wear a t-shirt from their favorite shore town, Josephs said.

A giant banner, which was donated by Gary Baron of the Sign Center in Berkeley Heights, will be hanging at the concert for residents to sign, Josephs said. That banner will be exhibited at the next groundbreaking ceremony for the Sandy Ground Project, set for July 26 in Asbury Park. 

Some New Jersey playgrounds have already been built in Sea Bright and Union, and Normandy Beach and The Highlands are next on the list, according to the concert press release.

Community members can also help the Sandy Ground Project by donating to any of the 26 sand buckets that will be available at the concert, Josephs said. Cash, credit cards and checks will be accepted. Items from the Sandy Ground Project Store will also be available for purchase and all proceeds will go to the project. 

“It’s going to be a great celebration of the firefighters from around New Jersey and that if people can’t come to the concert, they can go to the sandygroupproject.org and they can make a donation there,” Josephs told Patch. “But we’d love to show what we call the ‘Summit love.’ We just want to show the world that Summit is a pretty cool place.

Summit’s Village Green is located at the corner of Broad and Maple Streets, across from the Summit Train Station. In the event of rain, the Summit to the Shore Concert will be held the following Tuesday, featuring the Bronx Wanderers.

Check Summit Patch again next week for more information on the next three concerts in the “Hot Summer Nights” Concert Series.