New Jersey's Give a Kid a Dream Foundation (NJGAKAD) proclaims "Youth are worth fighting for" at fight fundraiser on 9 July 2022
 
Let's get ready to rumble on the Great Lawn in Long Branch on Saturday, 9 July at 1 pm during the annual "Battle on the Beach" fundraising boxing event for New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream (NJGAKAD), a non-profit youth organization.
 
WATCH! Give A Kid a Dream here https://vimeo.com/713088333
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Purchase Tickets here
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6th-annual-battle-on-the-beach-tickets-345561332247?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR16tzqOK6S63M5uZzBxfW6cYrpSkB-0c9kMS7Fb_V_N4dDkCa-WtHyDiD8
 
Organized in partnership with the City of Long Branch Recreation Department and Director Carl Jennings, NJGAKAD hosts a youth boxing fundraising match, sanctioned by the New Jersey Association of USA Boxing, to showcase the talent of exceptional amateur boxers starting as young as eight years old. 
 
Join us at the Great Lawn (located on Ocean Avenue between Ocean Place Hotel & Rooney's) at 1:00 pm on July 9th (rain date 10 July) and help us raise funds for at-risk youth in the New Jersey community. Boxing fans, community supporters, and families will gather to watch over ten exciting championship bouts and cheer on local New Jersey Olympic amateur boxers.
 
Children in the program receive boxing training at the legendary Gleason's Gym Jersey Shore, tutoring for schoolwork, and discovering relevant life skills through trips and excursions to become Champions of Life. 
 
With a track record of creating national boxing champions through programs she built from scratch, two-time Ringside World Champion, National Golden Glove Champion, and NJ Martial Arts kickbox Champion, Jackie Atkins turns coaching experiences into tremendous success stories.
 
"Children live up to what you believe of them, and we believe all of our children are capable of accomplishing greatness," NJGAKAD founder Jackie Atkins said. "We are honored to have such a committed team who believe our youth are worth fighting for and are willing to make the investment. No other investment yields as great a return as the investment in our children."
 
Despite this past year's Battle with adversity, NJGAKAD continued to support our youth and their families with no disruption in services. Children remained engaged virtually, those in need of virtual assistance received it, and even safe drive-by visits, often with meals for the families from their beloved Coach, became commonplace. Safety and health protocols were immediately put in position in compliance with state mandates.  
 
Women are warriors who wear many hats and 'gloves' in life. Our 'Girls in Gloves' program, born in 2019, aims to teach young women about the "self," including self-defense, self-worth, self-confidence, self-awareness, self-empowerment, self-control, and most importantly, self-love. The program caught the attention of neighboring cities in New Jersey, and the Mayor of Atlantic City recently integrated the program year.   
 
According to national statistics, three to four students - out of ten high school students- do not meet the criteria to obtain their high school diplomas. NJGAKAD boasts a 100% success rate because every participant has obtained their high school diploma from the program's inception. Participants have attended and graduated from universities or enlisted to join our armed forces. In 2021, all middle school youth achieved an 85% or higher academic average while improving their attendance thanks to mentors who invest in this program and provide youth counseling.
 
All proceeds will benefit the 501c3 organization New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream, a program dedicated to NJGAKAD's Champions of Life. To donate, visit the NJGAKAD donation page. For sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].
 
Sponsors are an integral part of the action. All proceeds go towards providing programs for the youth as well as scholarships. Contact Jennifer Smiga at 201-892-9403 or [email protected] with questions.
 
To learn about the New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream's “Battle on the Beach” visit http://njgakad.com/
 
For media opportunities, please email Workhouse, CEO Adam Nelson via [email protected] or +1 212.645. 8006
 
 About Jackie Atkins:
A 2014 inductee into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, Jacklyn "Coach Jackie" Atkins blushes at accolades, opting to focus on the victory of her students. The New jersey-native and winner of the Coach of the Year Award has developed a reputation for being a miracle worker with youth. Her ability to elevate others includes building the competitive women's boxing program at West Point Academy and securing two National Collegiate Championships. Trained in boxing from an early age with the New Jersey Police Athletic League, Jackie became fluent in multiple fighting styles before pursuing her passion for educating at-risk youth through the discipline of boxing. Recognized as a child advocate through her work with Give a Kid a Dream, Jackie was awarded the 2016 Tony Dowling Child Advocacy Award for her matter-of-fact excellence.
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"I believe children need someone passionate. Someone who will fight for them, besides their family, whether one parent or two, grandparents or foster care," Atkins said. "In boxing, I can enter a ring, and perhaps I'll win, or perhaps not. But when it comes to our youth, losing is not an option."
 
About NJGAKAD:
New Jersey Give a Kid a Dream (NJGAKAD)-Champions of Life is a 501c3 organization supported by private donations, exceptional coaches, the training staff members of Gleason's Jersey Shore gym, community members, and professionals willing to volunteer their time and invest in our youth. The Champions of Life Program marries the benefits of boxing with a curriculum that includes positive life skills and social services to encourage and empower children to achieve their goals, regardless of adversity. The Give a Kid a Dream program integrates the discipline of amateur Olympic-style boxing with fitness, life skills, counseling, mentoring, and academic advancement under one directive. 100% of your donation will fund the Battle on the Beach event and the ongoing work and support. For more information, please visit http://njgakad.com/.
 
Elite Sponsors 
International Boxing Federation
Razzino Renovations Inc.
HerSpace MedSpa
 
Exhibitors
Red Bank Radiology
Navesink Rehab
Iorio Plastic Surgery
Cryolete 
 
Bout Sponsor
Katie Ward & Family 
FantaSea Resorts
 
Food Trucks
BUBBLEZ ice cream
Little Tijuana

​"Cool For You" captivates while commanding a conversation with children about collective action and going carbon negative
 
Iconic Actor Matthew Modine and producing partner Adam Rackoff have come on board to Executive Produce Award-winning designer Sherene Strausberg's directorial debut "Cool For You." The animated short film is based on the book of the same title that explains global warming to children. Incorporating different characters and families, animals and plants, children are introduced to CO2 and positive ways to improve our impact on the Earth. 
 
Over the last few months, "Cool For You" has been fascinating film festivals around the globe, including the New Media Film Festival, Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival, RiverRun International Film Festival, Rochester International Children's Film Festival, Providence Children's Film Festival, and the Children's Film Festival Seattle to name a few. 
 
"I am thrilled to welcome Matthew Modine and Adam Rackoff to our small but mighty endeavor. Their passion for environmental activism is awe-inspiring, and their incredible association catapults our independent, female-helmed project to a worldwide audience." – stated "Cool For You" Director / Animator Sherene Strausberg
 
View the "Cool For You" trailer here https://vimeo.com/87thstreetcreative/coolforyoutrailer
 
Matthew Modine has worked with many of the film industry's most respected directors, including Oliver Stone, Sir Alan Parker, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Alan J. Pakula, John Schlesinger, Tony Richardson, Robert Falls, Sir Peter Hall, Abel Ferrara, Spike Lee, Tom DiCillo, Mike Figgis, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, and Christopher Nolan. A partial list of his films includes Birdy, Vision Quest, Full Metal Jacket, Married to the Mob and Short Cuts. Recent projects include star turns in Redemption opposite Liam Neeson (2022), Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), Hard Miles (2023), Operation: Varsity and Modine's much-anticipated return to the Netflix global phenomenon, Stranger Things, Season 4 which reunites him with co-star Millie Bobby Brown.
 
Cinco Dedos Peliculas is a film, video, and multimedia production company founded by actor/filmmaker Matthew Modine and producer Adam Rackoff, a former Apple marketing executive, podcaster, and two-time Webby Award-winning filmmaker with over 35 credits to his name. Their award-winning projects include Jesus Was a Commie, Merry Xmas, Super Sex, I Think I Thought, Bill Plympton’s Cheatin’, The Brainwashing of My Dad, Full Metal Jacket Diary, and the environmental documentary, Against the Current. Their latest project, Signe Baumane’s My Love Affair with Marriage, will premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 11.
 
UPCOMING SCREENINGS:
1- Dances With Films (Hollywood, CA): 4:45pm Sunday, June 12th:
 https://danceswithfilms.com/COOL%20FOR%20YOU/
2 - NYC Independent Film Festival: 6pm, Thursday, June 16th:
 https://nycindieff.com/films/cool-for-you/
3 – Florida Animation Film Festival: June 9th-26th (virtual):
 https://www.floridaanimationfestival.com/
4 - Cineglobe: Geneva: June 29th to July 3rd, tickets TBD:
 https://cineglobe.ch/
5 – Palm Springs Animation Film Festival, July 4th: 
 http://www.psiaf.org/
6- Good Natured Film Festival: Oxford, England: Friday, 6pm July 8th, free tickets: 
 https://conservationoptimism.org/2022-good-natured-short-film-festival/
7- Long Island International Film Expo: 6:30 - 8:30pm Thursday July 14th: 
 https://longislandfilm.com/films/cool-for-you/
8 – La Guarimba, Calabria Italy, Aug: 
 https://www.laguarimba.com/
 
To arrange an interview with "Cool For You" Director / Animator Sherene Strausberg, media contact Workhouse CEO, Adam Nelson via [email protected] +1 212. 645. 8006
 
Based on the children's picture book "Cool for You" it explains the basic science of climate change and actions we can take to help. Climate change is an urgent problem. Super storms, floods, droughts, and fires- we are just getting a taste of the new normal without global collective action to stop greenhouse gas emissions. "Cool for You" features a story of uniting to learn about the Earth and to work to stop climate change.
 
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT: 
In March 2020, when the world came to a standstill due to COVID, a friend shared a picture book he thought Sherene's kids would enjoy. It was called Cool for You, and it explained the science behind climate change and what we can do about it. In many ways, this book felt alive: The pages were filled with billowing exhaust, swaying trees, and butterflies flitting from flower to flower. While Sherene felt frozen in place due to lockdown, this was a world in motion. We hope this film can be a tool for climate—change education and a way to show others how words can be brought to life through sounds, animation, voices, and graphics.
 
FILM LINKS: 
http://www.coolforyoufilm.com 
Book Information: http://www.cbaillustration.com/cool-for-you 
 
PROFESSIONAL LINKS 
http://sherenestrausberg
https://www.instagram.com/sherenestrausberg/
https://vimeo.com/87thstreetcreative
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherene-strausberg-2322038
 
DIRECTOR'S BIO: 
Award-winning designer SHERENE STRAUSBERG combines her experience in film, music, and sound
engineering with graphic design and illustration to create animated videos for her clients at the company she
founded, 87th Street Creative. Having won a national composition competition in high school, she was awarded a
scholarship to the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, where she completed two bachelor's degrees in four years. In her first career as a film composer, film scores she wrote have been heard on AMC, Spike TV, and Netflix. As a graphic designer for Jewish National Fund, she won two awards from Graphic Design USA. Her latest passion project, the short, animated film "Cool For You," which she animated and scored, has been accepted to film festivals worldwide. Through the power of music, sound effects, and moving images, Sherene knew at the age of 16 that she wanted to be a film composer. After ten years of pursuing that, while also working as a broadcast engineer at National Public Radio, she changed careers, first to graphic design and then motion design. Motion graphics returned Sherene to her true passion for how sound and moving images can immerse the viewer/listener. Combining this with her desire to work with clients who believe in sustainability and social justice, 87th Street Creative has worked with nonprofits and businesses that help make the world a better place.