(MILLBURN, NJ) -- Broadway’s best will come together for the holidays to support the second annual Broadway Beats Hunger performance at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey on December 10 at 7:00pm. All proceeds raised will go directly to Summit Medical Group Foundation and Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s joint initiative, Food, Health and Hope: An Answer to Diabetes,which is committed to reducing the impact of New Jersey’s deadly diabetes epidemic.
Summit Medical Group Foundation has partnered with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in an ambitious effort to broaden and strengthen statewide awareness about the direct link between choosing nutritious food and managing diabetes.
Leading Broadway stars will perform live during Broadway Beats Hunger, from shows including Hamilton: An American Musical, Mean Girls, School of Rock, Aladdin, Kinky Boots, The Band’s Visit, The Lion Kingand many more. General admission tickets are $50 for adults ($25 for children) and VIP tickets at $100 offer premium seating and access to a special VIP reception.
Broadway performers scheduled to impress at Broadway Beats Hunger include: Norbert Leo Butz two-time Tony Award winner, My Fair Lady & Netflix series Bloodline; Kyle Dean Massey The Boys in the Band, Pippin & TV series Nashville; Erika Henningsen Mean Girls, Les Misérables; Sarah Walsh School of Rock, daughter of Dr. Lisa Coohill, Summit Medical Group Neurologist; Jennie Harney-Flemming Hamilton, The Color Purple; Alysha Umphress Smokey Joe’s Café, On the Town; Bradley Gibson The Lion King, A Bronx Tale the Musical; Ellyn Marie Marsh Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots; Taylor Frey How to Succeed in Business, South Pacific; Jacob Gutierrez Aladdin; Joey Taranto Kinky Boots, Spider-Man Turn off the Dark; Wallace Smith Hamilton, Les Misérables; Andy Kelso Kinky Boots, Wicked; Sheila Coyle Rent; Natalie Joy Johnson Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde the Musical; Kyle Post Kinky Boots, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark; Jonathan Raviv The Band’s Visit; Rachel Prather The Band’s Visit, Once; Catherine Brunell Something Rotten!, Les Misérables; Judy McClane Mamma Mia, Chess; and Haven Burton Kinky Boots, Violet, Shrek the Musical.
"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to present this energetic, live musical performance with Broadway’s best actors, dancers and singers to raise critical funds for the Food, Health and Hopediabetes initiative," said Dr. William Tansey, Summit Medical Group Cardiologist and member of the Board of Directors for SMGF. “Helping minimize the impact of diabetes throughout New Jersey starts with education and access to nutritious foods. By partnering with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, we can draw much-needed attention to this life-changing initiative and provide hope for the millions at risk.”
Summit Medical Group Foundation, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and seven community/faith-based agencies are making a great impact through the Food, Health and Hope program to help reduce the impact of diabetes among New Jersey adults with incomes below the federal poverty level. In New Jersey, diabetes affects urban areas more prevalently: In Essex, Passaic and Union counties, adults with the disease account for 7.2 to 10.6 percent of the population.
“Diabetes is an epidemic among our neighbors in need,” explained Carlos M. Rodriguez, President and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “Providing nutritious fruits and vegetables, along with health screenings, are important ways to help them maintain positive lifestyles, which is what makes our partnership with the Summit Medical Group Foundation so critical.”
Overall, an estimated 39,000* people are diagnosed with diabetes each year in this state and the epidemic continues to grow.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Broadway Beats Hungercharity musical will benefit the Food, Health and Hope: An Answer to Diabetesinitiative to support continued free diabetes screenings; fresh, healthy and diabetes-friendly food at no cost; access to nutrition programs; education on diabetes self-care; assistance with low-cost diabetes medication; eye and foot examinations and much more. Full details are available online.
Tickets are available for purchase at www.smg-foundation.org. Paper Mill Playhouse is located at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, New Jersey.
*Statistics from the American Diabetes Association.
ABOUT SUMMIT MEDICAL GROUP FOUNDATION
Summit Medical Group Foundation is deeply rooted in the community in a steadfast effort to better the health and well-being of each member through wellness promotion and medical education. Summit Medical Group—New Jersey’s oldest and largest private multispecialty physician group—established SMGF in 2013 to grow its culture of philanthropy and further its more than 85-year legacy of building a healthier tomorrow through programs and services that extend far beyond traditional medical care. Among other initiatives, the foundation provides scholarships and supports health programs that reflect its mission.
ABOUT COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF NEW JERSEY
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America®, has been delivering food, help and hope across the state for more than 40 years. Last year, CFBNJ provided nutritious food for more than 47 million meals through its network of more than 1,000 community partners including pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, mobile pantries, and child and senior feeding programs. For our hungry neighbors, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey is the powerful agent of change that fills the emptiness caused by hunger and provides resources that are essential to earning a sustainable living.
