CAI-NJ December 2020

2020 F.A.S.T. Year in Review By Kristy Winchock, EIT – 2020 F.A.S.T. Chair, Morris Engineering, LLC

A lthough COVID-19 put an end to all 2020 CAI- NJ in-person events, it couldn’t stop the F.A.S.T. Committee from hosting networking opportunities and fundraising initiatives. We continued to strive to make an impact in our personal and professional lives, and in our community. The Committee realized this year has been tough on everyone, so we decided what better way to distract our minds than a Cyber Trivia Break? F.A.S.T. hosted a series of one-hour Trivia Breaks, from April to August, where industry professionals teamed up and competed to be named Trivia Champion! It was great to catch up with old colleagues and meet new people, all while benefiting a great cause. Each registration included a donation to a local charity. With the help of all of our participants, we raised a total of $662 for charities including Fulfill Monmouth & Ocean Counties, Covenant House, Backpacks for Life, Family Promise of Monmouth County and Homefront, Inc. We were all very disappointed that we were unable to host our signature Olympics event benefitting Make-A-Wish New Jersey. We wanted to continue to support this special charity, so the F.A.S.T. Committee decided to put together a Tricky Tray fundraiser with the support of the CAI-NJ Team. CAI-NJ Business Partners and Management Companies generously donated fabulous prizes including an outdoor fire pit, Apple AirPods Pro, Yeti Cooler and more… The prize winners were announced during a virtual live event. Thanks to the prize sponsors and all who donated, we were able to present Make-A-Wish New Jersey with $3,680. Keep your eye out for an update on the details of the wish our donation helped grant. F.A.S.T. loves to finish out the year with the Holiday Adopt a Family Program through Interfaith Neighbors. This year has taken a financial toll on a great deal of local fami- lies, and we expect many to struggle with bringing Holiday

“Thank you to everyone who has participated in the F.A.S.T. Committee events and initiatives this year!”

cheer to their children. We hope to be able to help these families by providing gifts for the members of this program. But we need your help! We are asking that you support this initiative by sending gift cards or monetary donations to the CAI-NJ office. Deadline for donations is Friday, December 11, 2020. Please contact Robin Surgent at robin@cainj.org or (609) 588-0030 for more information. We are crossing our fingers that we will be able to see you next year at our regularly scheduled charity drives and events including our Annual Olympics in July, School Supply Drive at the Beach Party and our Food Drive at the Winter Break Party. Thank you to everyone who has participated in the F.A.S.T. Committee events and initiatives this year! We look forward to your continued support in 2021. n

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