HILLSDALE—Proceeds from the Ninth Annual Joan’s Joy Child Safety Fest fundraiser, held Sept. 30 in Hillsdale, are sending youth in the YCS Holley Center and YCS Davis House in Newark to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes.
Funds also are going toward “necessities for the orphaned children of Ukraine who have been hurt by the war,” and “art counseling for grieving children who need help affording it.”
And funds will go toward needed work on The Joan Angela D’Alessandro White Butterfly Sculpture and Garden, adjacent to the train station downtown.
The festival, powered by Rosemarie and her sons John and Michael and a small army of other volunteer supporters, took place 30 years after the rise of Rosemarie D’Alessandro’s self-described movement to keep Joan’s killer, a sexual predator, in prison, rather than see him eligible for parole under a loophole. (He eventually died in prison.)
A highlight of the festival: a timeline ranging from Sept. 30, 1993 to the same date in 2023, composed of a collage of photos that included the five laws that Rosemarie helped launch and memorialize.
An enthusiastic crowd of approximately 150 included families with children who enjoyed the exciting annual butterfly release; a circle of joined hands representing standing up for those in need, especially children; and Girl Scouts who attended in their sashes, in Joan’s memory.
Rosemarie tells Pascack Press, “The tricky tray was a hit, [as was] the entertainment, which included an original song called ‘Hearts of Hope’; a dance troupe of four girls from Heart in Motion Dance Studio; a mother and son duet; and the Bergen County Players singing songs from ‘Rent.’”
Tables at the event included homemade jewelry; Le Carré Café selling chocolate pudding cups (a favorite of Joan) with an edible white butterfly and delicious macarons. Le Carré Café donated all its proceeds to the cause.
There were fun activity tables, and clowns Juggles and the Glitter. Joan’s Joy offered giveaways and sold T-shirts, which Rosemarie notes are still available for purchase for $20 from joansjoy.org. She tells Pascack Press that additional highlights included a televised appearance from retired police chief Frank Mikulski, who spoke about the first such vigil at Veterans Park 30 years ago “and the important role the community planned throughout the 30-year movement.”
Rosemarie spoke about “how things changed so drastically in my life” when Joan’s killer became eligible for parole “and how I decided to fight for justice for my daughter and protect other children.”
She discussed her new book “The Message of Light Amid Letters of Darkness,” which pairs letters from the killer to a pen pal with a timeline of Rosemarie’s movement. Copies of the book are available at a $30 discount at joansjoy.org.
“It turned out to be a great event and I am thankful for the dedicated volunteers and wonderful community that came together at the event,” she said.
The event followed this summer’s last-ever Joan’s Joy Foundation Yard Sale, at the 45 Florence St. home office of the foundation.
Proceeds from that event support a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township for local underprivileged children, and helped orphaned children of Ukraine.
Of that event, Rosemarie told Pascack Press, “We can’t thank everyone enough who participated in the 17 yard sales. The memories with stay with us.”
In 2021 the Bergen County Prosecutor’s office dedicated a room in its Child Advocacy Center in Paramus to Rosemarie Birri D’Alessandro.
Such centers are child-friendly areas where a team of state workers, police, prosecutors, victim advocates and medical and mental health professionals can meet to coordinate a response to allegations of sexual and severe physical abuse against kids, according to the New Jersey Children’s Alliance.
Rosemarie’s grateful message then, as now: “Remember Joan today, so tomorrow’s children will be safe.”
To donate or for more information visit joansjoy.org.