The Geator
A Tribute to "Jerry Blavat"

Courtesy of LOVE Pictures

Everyone loved Jerry Blavat “The Geator with Heater”.
He was a master at producing and performing in all his shows.
Jerry showed us what it meant to enjoy every day.
There will never be another.
We will miss you Friend, the ultimate MC
And are grateful for your energy, zest and love for music.
The Geator will live in our hearts forever.
“Life is precious, and I am happy, and when I’m happy
I want the world to be happy”
He lived life to the fullest

𝄞

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Garden State Arts  Foundation

Donor Information

Help the Garden State Arts Foundation keep the stars shining brightly in the state of New Jersey.

  • We need you. We receive no Federal, State or Turnpike funding for our activities.
  • We need you to help us educate more of New Jersey's children
  • We need you to bring more live classical and jazz programs to New Jerseyans free of charge.

Donations of any amount are welcome and can be mailed to:

Garden State Arts Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 5013
Woodbridge, NJ 07095-5013

The Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Donations are deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law.

For additional information on making an outright contribution to support the Foundation or to support a specific event, please contact the Foundation Office Monday through Friday 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. at (732) 442-9200.

Trustees

Board Of Members

  • Mr. DuPont is a partner in the law firm McKenna, DuPont, Higgins & Stone. He serves as a member of the Borough Council in Red Bank, Monmouth County, and is president of the Garden State Arts Foundation. He served on the transition teams of former Governors John S. Corzine and James E. McGreevey. Mr. DuPont has a B.A. in political science and business administration from Loyola University and a J.D. from the John Marshall School of Law.
  • Mr. Gravino is vice president for finance and human resources at Invidi Technologies Corp. in Princeton, which he joined after many years as a financial/turnaround consultant. He serves as chairman of the Newark Liberty International Airport Advisory Board and on the boards of the Transportation Finance Review Commission and the Garden State Arts Foundation. He served for six years as a commissioner of the former New Jersey Highway Authority. Mr. Gravino lives in Edison, Middlesex County.
  • Mr. Diaz is employed at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey as director of enterprise government affairs. Mr. Diaz previously worked for Verizon Communications Inc., where he was responsible for the development of the company’s government affairs activities and its legislative program for New Jersey. He also worked for United Water New Jersey, where he was responsible for external affairs activities, including government and public affairs, communications and business development. Mr. Diaz has a B.A. in business administration from Rutgers University. He is a resident of Rutherford, Bergen County.
  • Mr. Minella is Executive Director of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. He retired from the NJTA as Assistant Superintendent of Garden State Parkway Roadway Maintenance in 2011 after more than 25 years of service. A graduate of St. Peters College in Jersey City, Mr. Minella is a trustee of the Madeline Fiadini LoRe Foundation for Cancer Prevention and 1st vice president of the Bayonne Chapter of UNICO National. He resides in Bayonne, Hudson County.
  • Mr. Salermo is Managing Partner of MAR Acquisition Group LLC, a real estate services company in Elizabeth. He has held leadership positions in several civic and community organizations, including the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, the Elizabeth Development Corp., the YMCA of Eastern Union County, the Elizabeth Avenue Partnership, and the Union County Workforce Investment Board. Mr. Salermo attended Elizabeth High School and Union County College. He resides in Warren Township, Somerset County.
  • Mr. Maldonado-Ramírez is the Senior Counsel for Policy and External Affairs at the New Jersey Laborers-Employers Cooperative and Education Trust (New Jersey LECET). Previously, he held senior staff positions in the Majority offices of the New Jersey Senate and Assembly, served in policy roles on the campaign of former Gov. Jon Corzine and the transition team of Gov. Phil Murphy, practiced voting rights law for the non-profit Advancement Project, and served as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Mr. Maldonado-Ramírez, a native of San Juan, is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He lives in Highland Park, Middlesex County, with his wife and two sons.

Officers

Carolyn Santiago

Executive Director



Karen Yeung

Assistant Treasurer



Mariann Zach, Esq.

Assistant Secretary

Volunteers

Volunteer services are an important part of this organization. We rely on our volunteers to provide assistance at events that take place at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, as well as provide assistance with office tasks.

Some examples of Garden State Arts Foundation (GSAF) events are:

  • Free daytime programs for NJ senior citizens
  • Free daytime programs for children
  • Free evening cultural / classical performances

Volunteers are assigned responsibilities based on their availability and GSAF requirements. Some of the jobs are as follows, but not limited to:

  • Manning turnstiles at performances
  • Distributing program books
  • Processing ticket orders for performances
  • Garden State Arts Foundation mailings and other clerical duties

You will always have complete instructions describing the responsibilities of your assignment.

Volunteering with the Garden State Arts Foundation can be both a fun and rewarding experience. There is always an opportunity to meet new people, and it is a great way for retired individuals to remain active. If you are interested in participating, please contact us at:

Garden State Arts Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 5013
Woodbridge, NJ 07095-5013

Who We Are

The Garden State Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in 1984. The Foundation provides free programs for school children, senior citizens and families at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel and at various outreach locations throughout the state. The Foundation, endeavoring to maintain a classical/cultural/popular performance presence at the Arts Center, also annually underwrites traditional musical programs free-of-charge and open to all.

Contact Us

If you would like additional information on the Garden State Arts Foundation you may call us Monday through Friday 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. at (732) 442-9200 or write to us at:

Garden State Arts Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 5013
Woodbridge, NJ 07095-5013

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