It’s an ambitious undertaking — 50 good deeds in one year, but birthday boy Jerry Fennelly appeared undaunted by the task at his 50th birthday bash, Tuesday, March 9, celebrated at Elements restaurant on Bayard Lane.
More than 200 guests turned out for the affair, which raised approximately $4,000 for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (one down, 49 go). PJ’s Pancake House matched the funds raised.
In fact, Fennelly says he has completed about ten of his good deeds already, including a January 23 food drive to benefit HomeFront. Fennelly and volunteers went door to door to about 200 homes in Pennington and collected 2,500 pounds of food.
Addressing his guests at Elements, Fennelly says he feels compelled to give back, in part because of how well his commercial real estate company, NAI Fennelly in Hamilton, did this past year. “The true reward is when I influence people.” He influenced one young volunteer at the food drive, a seven-year-old who told her parents, “For my birthday I don’t want gifts, I want to give to charity. But grandma and grandpa can give me presents.”
Readers who have a good deed idea for Fennelly can E-mail fennelly@fennelly.com
