Step into spring with fresh fashions at St. John’s Thrift Shop

Where: St. John’s From The Heart Thrift Shop, the parish hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 158 West High Street in Somerville

When: The first Thursday of each month from 11 am to 6:30 pm May 2

From The Heart Thrift Shop accommodates working people as well as those whose personal time is based on the school hours.

The facility is handicapped accessible. Parking is available in the church lot behind the church or on the street.

From The Heart Thrift Shop was developed in response to an identified need in the community. The gently used – and in many cases brand new – clothes at low prices are ideal for those on a limited budget, for those returning to the workforce, or for those who like a good bargain.

For more information contact 908-722-1250. www.StJohnSomerville.org

 About St. John’s

At St. John’s, weekly Sunday services are conducted at 8 am and 10:15 am with music at 10:15 am. St. John’s offers Sunday School every Sunday at 10:15 am preceded by “Children’s Chapel” at 10 am in which the rector, the Rev. Ronald Pollock, offers a brief children’s message. St John’s has both an adult choir and a junior choir.  Among its many programs, St. John’s hosts the SHIP's Galley Soup Kitchen three days a week and a monthly thrift shop - From The Heart - with proceeds going to non-profit agencies.

Calling All Riders-6th Annual Bike Ride for Amy

Where:  South Brunswick High School, 750 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction, South Brunswick, NJ

When: Sunday, June 2

President Arie Behar is proud of the growth and accomplishments of The Amy Feiman Behar Foundation since its inception six years ago with a special purpose: to help women who don't have the financial resources to be screened for breast cancer on a yearly basis.

More than 1,500 Central New Jersey women have undergone screening mammograms through foundation partnerships and programs that began with Saint Peter's Medical Center in New Brunswick and expanded to include Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick and University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro.

Today, the foundation also supports follow-up diagnostic services for women whose screenings suggest the possibility of breast cancer. “Our collective efforts are making a meaningful difference for these women and I'm very grateful,” said Behar, of the foundation created and named for his wife, Amy, who died of breast cancer in March 2007 at the age of 49. “But the uninsured and under-insured continue to need our help, so we need to keep the pedal to the metal.” By “pedal to the metal,” Behar meant literally and figuratively as the foundation prepares for one of its major fund-raising events on Sunday

The 6th Annual Bike Ride for Amy, which originates and ends in South Brunswick (at the high school) after passing through picturesque landscapes of Middlesex and Somerset counties.

The event will feature 25-mile, 35-mile and 50-mile routes based on the proficiency of riders. The 25-mile route is a flat, relatively easy ride for all levels of riders, running through Plainsboro and South Brunswick. The 35-mile course is a challenging one that includes hilly terrain. The 50-mile route is even more challenging with 2,700 feet of climbing, featuring the Sourland Mountain. (Halter's Cycles in South Brunswick has graciously agreed to give a 10 percent discount on bicycle tune-ups to all Bike Ride for Amy registrants.) In 2012, the foundation donated $40,000 to Saint Peter's University Hospital, $20,000 to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and $10,000 to University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro; and is committed to matching those donations in 2013. “This year, we've waived the entry fee for the ride,” Behar said. “We are asking each rider to raise a minimum of $140, which is the cost of one screening mammogram for an uninsured woman.” There are several ways to contribute. You can register to ride, sponsor a rider or simply make a donation yourself by visiting the foundation's Stay Classy campaign page: www.stayclassy.org/6thRideForAmy. The site has been designed to make it easy for family, friends and colleagues to support riders by sponsoring their participation. Riders who raise $420, the cost of three mammograms, will receive their choice of a Bike Ride for Amy cycling jersey or shorts. Participants who raise at least $840, the cost of 6 mammograms, will receive both the Bike Ride for Amy cycling jersey and the cycling shorts. All riders on June 2 will be provided with a water bottle and a Bike Ride for Amy t-shirt. Beverages and snacks will be provided at the start of the ride and at rest stops along each of the three routes. In the event of rain, a new date will be posted on The Amy Foundation web site -- www.amyfoundation.org) The Amy Foundation also welcomes corporate sponsors. Several companies -- KIPCON, Lackland Self Storage, First Property Management Solution and WithumSmith+Brown, PC Certified Public Accounts & Consultants – already have given generously to the cause. Contributions to The Amy Foundation are tax-deductible. . ###