06/05 – On a warm, blue-skied morning, more than one thousand Jets fans and members of the Northern New Jersey community packed the turf at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center to take part in an event near and dear to the Jets organization. For the eighth consecutive year, the New York Jets partnered with the Alliance for Lupus Research to hold their North Jersey Walk With Us to Cure Lupus. Jets owner Woody Johnson started the ALR in 1999 to combat lupus, an autoimmune disease that can affect not only the skin but the body's vital organs. Ken Farber, the ALR's executive director who could be seen mingling with the Jets players, coaching staff and fans, was excited about the turnout of 1,292 “The Alliance for Lupus Research is just thrilled to have the New York Jets as a partner," Farber said. "ALR and the Jets work hand in hand and we have a phenomenal turnout for the walk for lupus research today.” Farber expected the ALR to raise close to $300,000 today, with all of that money going to the best lupus research in the country. Over the past eight years, the Jets and ALR have raised nearly $3 million toward finding a cure for lupus. Also in attendance at the walk were many Jets players, coaches and staff, including head coach Rex Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and veteran players David Harris and Brodney Pool. In addition, the Jets rookie class, led by first-round draft pick Kyle Wilson, seemed to be immersing themselves in the event. Tannenbaum expressed his pleasure with being able to give back to the community, while Ryan showed enthusiasm for the event and the cause. “It’s huge," the coach said. "One thing about the entire Jets organization is that we’re committed to finding a cure for lupus. Hopefully this walk will go a long way in helping out.” The rookies and players were some of the first out of the gates to begin the walk, and led the way while engaging with many different groups of supporters. One rookie who seemed to be particularly enjoying his interactions with the community was rookie fullback John Conner. In between giving autographs to fans and discussing the event with his teammates, Conner took the time to discuss his feelings about the day. “It’s good to see everybody out here, and it’s for a good cause," he said. "To see all the fans out here, it’s good to get a chance to mingle. It feels good, just looking at the fan base and all the support we have out here." Wilson, Harris and Pool were the biggest attractions among the fans, and it was special to see those three so involved, excited and enthusiastic about spending time with and giving back to the community. As a Piscataway, N.J., native, Wilson knows the area and the community well, and he looks to be fully committed to maintaining a relationship with the fans through events like the ALR walk in the future. In particular, this event allows him to showcase his care for the community while also making an impact on a charity that the Jets and Johnson hold in very high regard. “Anything I can do to help out in the community, I’m always willing to do it," Wilson said. "Finding a cure for lupus and helping Mr. Johnson out is something great. Anytime we can help at walks like this and come out and show support, we’re all for it." Also participating in the event were Jets rookies Vladimir Ducasse, Donovan Warren, Cory Reamer, Brashton Satele, Kevin Basped, Charlie Tanner, Aaron Kia, Simi Toeaina, Jeff Cumberland, Jason Lamb, Brian Jackson and Ernest Williams. Many different groups joined in on today's walk, most of which had ties to a friend or family member who suffers or suffered from the disease. One group is The Kelly Fund for Lupus. Brenda Blackmon started the organization when her daughter was diagnosed with lupus, from which she has since recovered. “Woody Johnson has been the inspiration," Blackmon said. "He is just phenomenal — his commitment, how much he has put the word out and helped people understand this is a disease that has so many ramifications that we don’t understand.” Farber has worked with Johnson during ALR’s existence and has extremely high hopes and expectations for the Jets owner's two biggest goals this year. “Woody is committed to two things, he wants two achievements this year. He wants a Super Bowl win for the Jets and he wants a cure for lupus," Farber said. "Those are his ambitions, those are our ambitions. Working together, I’m pretty confident we’ll achieve them.”

Almost 1,300 Walk to Help Find Cure for Lupus

06/06 – A new wave of Jets fans piled into the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center today, as over 200 kids from Northern New Jersey participated in the Generation Jets Kids Club Clinic. With parents watching from the sidelines of the fieldhouse, the kids were greeted by most of the Jets' rookie class. After splitting up into multiple groups, the kids were able to take part in football drills led by the players. One of the most exciting drills for the kids, which involved catching a pass then running through a cone-shaped tackling dummy, was led by linebacker Cory Reamer. The kids enjoyed barreling through the dummy with the ball and were getting their money's worth with each hit.  "It's been great," Reamer said. "We've had some good events this week. Yesterday was a great event but this is fun to get out here and see these guys get excited about Jets football. They're out here to have fun, and so are we." This has been a busy and charitable weekend for Reamer and the Jets rookie class, as they also participated in the eighth annual North Jersey Walk with Us to Cure Lupus on Saturday. Despite having to learn the playbook, get up to game speed and become acclimated to life in the NFL, these players have been gracious in giving back to the local community. Fullback John Conner, for example, seemed to be taking ownership of what it means to be a Jet in this area. "I'm having a good time with these kids out here. It's good to get out here and work with the younger kids and show them a few drills that we do," Conner said. "It's good to take a few days off from the practice field and work with some of the younger kids, and I'm enjoying myself." On this hot Sunday, kids were lined up at the water coolers in between drills. Jared from Orange, N.J., rushed over after completing his turn at the agility drill and when asked about his favorite activity of the day he simply said, "Tackling." This response was a common one from this new generation of Jets fans who loved taking part in the types of football drills that NFL players incorporate into their daily practices. "These guys are really our biggest fans," cornerback Brian Jackson said. "They don't necessarily know too much about the game, but you get to teach them the little things that might help them get to the next level. It's a blessing. These guys out here are one of a kind, their eyes are lit up and they have smiles on their faces no matter how the drills are going. It's a great thing."  About 90 percent of the kids at this year's clinic had never participated in a Gen Jets clinic before — which goes to show the ever-expanding Jets fan base in the area. Tom, a proud parent from nearby Chatham, had a son, Mac, participating in the event, and while watching from the sideline, Tom could only beam as he watched Mac's exuberance on the field.  "My son is only 5, but I think this is a fantastic opportunity," Tom said. "He and some of his buddies were so incredibly excited to be out here. Just being on a turf where the Jets play, it's so exciting for them."  Regardless of whether these kids will one day become athletes, the experience of learning from the Jets was the chance of a lifetime. The rookies displayed amazing dedication and care for the local community and the kids and parents could not have been happier with the day's results.  

Rookies Wrap Up Weekend with Kids Clinic

05/28 – The New York Jets and Tequipment announced today the donation of 13 SMART Board interactive whiteboards to PS 46–The Alley Pond School through the PENCIL Partnership Program, which builds and supports customized relationships between private sector leaders and principals. Matt Higgins, the Jets' executive vice president of business operations, along with Jets players Brandon Moore, Mike DeVito, Ropati Pitoitua and Britt Davis and Tequipment CEO Keith Elgart, delivered and powered on the SMART Boards. The donation was received by The Fund for Public Schools and PS 46 principal Marsha Goldberg. As a member of PENCIL’s board of directors and a partner in its partnership program, Higgins and the Jets teamed up with his alma mater, PS 46, to help enhance the learning experience. “When I first started working with PS 46 last year, I saw firsthand the way the school was using SMART Boards and how much it was helping the students, especially those with special needs,” said Higgins. “The school had only a few of these SMART Boards. Now, through our partnership with Tequipment, we not only are able to provide more boards to PS 46 but will soon be able to offer them to other schools around the region.” Tequipment is the largest provider of SMART products not only in New York State but in all of North America. They provide continuous support from the initial planning of a purchase through delivery, installation and setup. In addition, their training division offers a wide range of professional development programs. “The PENCIL Partnership is a natural fit for us,” said Elgart. “We’ve been providing technologies that transform classrooms and the way students learn and educators teach since our inception, so we were thrilled when the New York Jets reached out to us.  We share the team’s commitment to community involvement and look forward to helping other schools in need.”

Jets', Tequipment's SMART Gifts to PS 46