Twenty-four of New Jersey’s most inspiring “unsung heroes” were honored on May 7 at a virtual ceremony, as we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award. Among the honorees: Dionisio Cucuta, Jr., who created a robust volunteer-based food distribution program during the pandemic; Kim Gaddy (pictured), whose tenacious advocacy for environmental justice on behalf of communities of color led New Jersey to adopt some of the country’s strongest environmental justice legislation; and Anthony Capuano, who braved freezing November waters to rescue a driver whose car had sunk into the Newark Bay. Speaking at the online ceremony, Angelica Berrie, president of The Russell Berrie Foundation, said that the 300 individuals honored over the past quarter-century embodied her late husband’s entrepreneurial approach to solving life’s problems. “Like him, they weren’t afraid to go where others feared to tread,” she said. “They were not afraid to be pioneers.”
Celebrating 25 Years of Making a Difference