October 5, 2021
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–The seventh incarnation of Robbinsville Township Mayor Dave Fried’s groundbreaking “Pay it Forward” initiative, and the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, was a huge success Tuesday at The Stone Terrace By John Henry’s.
As part of his annual State of Robbinsville Township address, Mayor Fried and his team raised more than $50,000 to help Robbinsville resident Kelly Breden, 17, purchase a service dog to help with for her rare disease, PACS-1.
Kelly is one of three individuals in New Jersey, and among just 160 people around the world, who suffer from PACS 1 – also known as Schuurs-Hoeijmakers syndrome.
Robbinsville resident Kelly Breden, 17
Past SOTT recipients include the Shepherd Family, Quilts for Comfort, Deborah Dauer, the C.A.R.E. Program, Mercer Street Friends Food Bank and the We Love Our R’ville Neighbors campaign. Since 2015, those efforts have raised over $400,000.
Classified as non-verbal autistic, Kelly is having increasing difficulty with movement and is frequently subject to falling – often without warning. Following a long and painstaking process, Kelly has been approved for a dog provided by Little Angels Service Dogs based in Bartlett, New Hampshire. She will receive the dog when it has completed its specialized training for Kelly’s special needs.
“This is a very special family and an awesome kid who deserves everything good this world has to offer,” Mayor Fried said in front of a crowd of over 230. “I always get excited as we gear up for our annual Pay it Forward event, but the opportunity to come together to help her acquire this service dog through a wonderful organization such as Little Angels is why I do what I do.”
The Breden Family For Kelly’s Independence has raised over $7,000 toward the cost of the service dog, a grand total that will be close to $55,000 upon the completion of specialized training, according to Josh Drew of Little Angels, who also spoke at the event.