Halloween & Hope

Just 14 shopping days left before Halloween but I already have my costume picked out. 

I’m going to dress up as a sleep-deprived, stressed-out, overworked, underappreciated, worn-out, frustrated, ticked-off, middle age man.  I did not have to go to one of those super duper Halloween stores for my costume.  Just looked in the closet and the mirror.

Truth is I don’t do Halloween and never have.  It’s a great day to be a kid and that’s where it starts and ends.  Never understood some adult’s infatuation with the dress up thing but as the saying goes, “different strokes for different folks.”  I think that’s how it goes.

Many of you are familiar with Ocean of Love, a charitable organization that helps children with cancer and their families in Ocean County.  For more than two decades the group has provided everything from financial to emotional support for local families dealing with this horrid disease and this week our sister station 105.7 The Hawk is hosting its now annual Billboard Radiothon.

On-air personality Andy Chase climbed up the scaffolding to his perch in the Target/Lowe’s parking lot on Hooper Avenue in Toms River shortly after 5pm Monday and he will basically live there until Friday at 6pm.

The goal as always is to raise at least $105,700 for Ocean of Love and Andy’s effort got an immediate boost from the students and staff at Drum Point Road Elementary School in Brick.  They raised $1023 during “penny wars” in the school last week and presented the donation at the start last night.

All of us at Townsquare Media implore you to donate whatever you can this week either in person or you can visit 1057the hawk.com for other options.  Good luck Andy!

I was saddened to read in the Asbury Park Press today the passing of Carlton Hamilton who is considered by many among the greatest athletes to ever come out of Toms River.  Hamilton was an All-State and All-American football player at Toms River High School in 1951 and also shined in both basketball and baseball before moving on to Colgate University.  Many who watched him insist there was no better all-around athlete and his exploits earned him a spot in the Toms River Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame.  Equally noteworthy was the fact that Carlton was an incredible sweet man who always had a smile on his face and a nice word to say.

Sympathy to his wife Ruth, daughters Teresa and Carleen and the rest of the family on the passing of a true gentleman.