William Paterson University to Host Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Senior Citizens on November 20

More than 350 senior citizens from northern New Jersey are expected to attend William Paterson University's Seventh Annual Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Brownstone in Paterson.

The event is hosted by William Paterson University, as part of its outreach to the community. The purpose of the dinner is to recognize the contributions of senior citizens in the community.

This year’s dinner will be hosted by Susanna Tardi, professor of sociology. Featured during the dinner will be presentations of the William Paterson University Lifetime Achievement Awards to senior citizens who have made significant contributions to their communities: Laura B. Freytes, who is presently Passaic County’s Superintendent of Elections and Deputy Commissioner of Registration, and Patricia Brathwaite Cumberbach, a longtime volunteer for the American Red Cross and president of the Paterson Council on Aging. Both honorees have distinguished themselves by making significant contributions to the community.

In addition to a traditional turkey dinner, guests will enjoy entertainment by the William Paterson Gospel Choir, Steve Alexander and his Jazz Band, AbraCadabra D.J. and by ballroom dancers Robert Sweeney and Rebecca Reid. University volunteers, including faculty, staff and students will assist at the event. Members of the campus community have donated gift certificates for the guests.

Thirty-eight community organizations and social agencies from cities in northern New Jersey will be sending guests to the dinner. Individual organizations, as well as the Passaic County Freeholders will provide transportation. Emergency services will be provided by Wayne, North Haledon and the City of Paterson.

The dinner is organized by William Paterson's Office of the Provost and University volunteers.
William Paterson University, one of the nine state colleges and universities in New Jersey, offers 30 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs through five colleges: Arts and Communication, the Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Health. Located on 370 hilltop acres in Wayne, the University enrolls nearly 11,500 students. The institution’s faculty are highly distinguished and diverse scholars and teachers, many of whom are recipients of prestigious awards and grants from the Fulbright Program, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Philosophical Society.
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For Further Information, contact:
Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966