Kudos to the Stephens Family who owns and operates Gerard’s Wines & Spirits on Bridge Avenue in Point Pleasant. 

By now many of you have likely heard they have cancelled an appearance by rapper 50 Cent who was supposed to be at the store on May 13th to sign bottles of a vodka he endorses.  It would have likely drawn a pretty good crowd but Joe Stephens Jr. and his dad Joe pulled the plug after 50 Cent (a/k/a Curtis Jackson) posted a video in which he was mocking a young airport worker and accusing him of being drunk or high. 

Turns out the 19-year old airport custodian is autistic and while the rapper and actor has apologized it was too late for the owners of Gerard’s.  50 Cent announced yesterday he has donated $100,000 to Autism Speaks. That move comes after several other appearances were cancelled in which he was to promote Effen Vodka.

I had the pleasure to help host last night’s Hometown Heroes 6th Annual Gala and Awards Dinner at Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant.  Honored for their generosity in giving back and paying it forward were Monica Vermeulen, founder of the Ashley Lauren Foundation, Donna Setaro who champions the Move over Awareness Campaign in memory and tribute to her son Trooper Marc Castellano, and artists Mike Ciccotello and Jay Alders who have used their amazing talents to help others. 

Specials guests for the evening were former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and Darrell Reid, a Freehold native who played five years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in 2007.

Todd Durkin is back.  You might remember several weeks ago that I told you about the former Brick Township High School student-athlete who is one of the nation’s top fitness trainers.  I brought him up as he was appearing on a new NBC competition show “Strong.” 

Durkin was eliminated rather early but he told me there would be more to come and sure enough he worked his way back onto the show last night.  Not only that but plans are in the works for the 44-year old to return to Brick for a “Strong” event in a couple of weeks…I’ll keep you posted.

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