Evening at the Cider Mill: Commemorating 21st anniversary of 9/11 in NJ

An amazing nonprofit organization, Heartworks, which spreads kindness where it is most needed, is hosting a fundraiser at one of my favorite places, Burnt Mills Cider Co. in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Heartworks was founded in the wake of 9/11 by women in my hometown of Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Their goal was to pass along the same kind of compassion and acts of kindness that founder Megan McDowell's family experienced after 9/11 as she processed the loss of her brother-in-law, John Farrell.

Their  fundraiser will commemorate the 21st anniversary of 9/11 and will feature live music, plenty of hard cider and they will have a pizza truck. Plan to bring your lawn chairs or a nice blanket and sip on a nice cold cider, enjoy some tunes and smile because you are giving back to an amazing organization.

They have several ticket options:

$50 General Ticket (includes a complimentary pint of cider)
$100 Tribute Ticket (includes complimentary flight of cider)
$250 Legacy ticket (includes a to-go 4 pack of cider)

Click here to buy tickets. Burnt Mills Cider Mill is located at 3540 Route 206, Bedminster, NJ 07921. For more information on how to get involved with Heartworks or make a donation, click here.

The kindness of the Heartworks organization has carried over our community for years, spreading to many individuals and families. One of those individuals is a young, fierce, fashionista that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, her name is Molly Perdek.

You can watch clips of Molly speaking to members of Heartworks at the bottom of this article. 

Molly was born with a condition known as hydrocephalus, which means she was born without a shunt that drains fluids from her brain, so she had to have an artificial one put in.

At the age of 23, she is having her 40th brain surgery this month and she already has her 41st brain surgery scheduled for next month. Through all of the ups and downs that Molly has had to face, Heartworks has been there to support her.

Molly shared with me some of her thoughts:

“I have a severe chronic Illness that has caused my family many struggles through the years and Heartworks has taken us in with open loving arms as a second family and I would not of become the women I am today without them standing by my side and supporting me “

I wanted to share Molly’s story because she is just one person out of many that this organization has a huge impact on. They are an incredible group of women who care about their community and its members.

Watch below as Molly speaks to members of Heartworks:

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A post shared by Molly Perdek (@mollyperdek)

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Jordan Jansson. Any opinions expressed are her own.
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