Making New Jersey A Better Place To Live, Begins With YOUR Help

Have you ever taken the first step to helping a charitable organization? How about helping an entire city?

Take Elizabeth for example: my family's hometown, where my grandfather and his brother built the foundations for St. Michael's rectory and the steps for St. Patrick's Cathedral in The Port; my father built the foundations for the mausoleums in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Newark and he got his first bike from Aaron's on Elizabeth Ave. (and still has to this day). My grandparents lived on South Spring Street in The Burg before they tore down the house to build a shopping center, and later expanded Route 1, and I could go on and on with how my family's sweat went into building that city.

Although I may not have been born in the 4th largest city in the state,  when I see groups taking strides to make this city a better place for all it's residents, it becomes hard not to help.

This Sunday (5/20) marks the 9th annual Tour de Elizabeth, which is a 15 mile bike ride through the city to admire the architecture, and for people who have never been before: a chance to enjoy what generations past have created.

Groundwork Elizabeth is the group that put's this ride together and has expanded it from a small ride that started in front of Aaron's bike shop to now turning into a huge event that is being held right in front of city hall at the Winfield Scott Plaza.

Registration for the ride begins at 7:30am with the ride kicking off at 9am; I'll be sending The Jersey Prize Team this year with music to wake you up along with contests and prizes!

You can register for the race by clicking here, and if you would like to volunteer for this organization you can do so by clicking here.

I'm always visiting Elizabeth, whether with my grandfather to sit down in The Port on a sunny day to play checkers and watch the boats come into the harbor or going on a date to Spirito's and get some of the 'red lead' and raviolis . It truly is a great place if you just slow down, relax and I hope you'll take your Sunday morning to just pedal your way through the city and see what I mean.