Community Corner

Sports Stars Come Out for Fundraising Extravaganza

Annual event celebrates and continues programs aimed at teaching students healthy living and a strong work ethic.




The Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation helps as many as 10,000 New Jersey students gain better health and study habits each year—but it's only possible because of the support Clark Diggs has been able to rally to her cause.

Support that not only includes corporate and business sponsors, but also athletes who, like Clark Diggs herself, know the habits and effort needed for success.

On Sept. 20, Clark Diggs brought together those supporters, as well as about 300 guests and five students at the Bridgewater Marriott for her eighth annual Sports Extravaganza.

"I'm so excited because it lets me know they support me and believe in me," Clark Diggs said of her fellow Olympic and athletic stars who showed up, including Sharriella Barksdale, Norman Tate, Mark Breland, Jearl Miles—Clark, Hazel Clark, Gail Marquis, Edwin Roberts, Dwight Philips, Mike Conley, Robert Beamon and Candy Young.

"It's always a pleasure to extend your services to the fraternity of Olympians," Robert Beamon, who's Olympic Gold Medal-winning long jump in the 1968 Olympics at Mexico City stood as a world record for 22 years. "This was truly a pleasure."

The athletes, who are all active in mentoring younger athletes in schools and programs across the country, are willing to come and lend a hand for the Sports Extravaganza because of the valuable work they know Clark Diggs is doing: her programs in schools teach kids life lessons that go beyond a few exercises and motivational words.

To prove the point, the highlight of the night was the presentation of the "Joetta Geniuses" awards, scholarships and computers awarded to five students—Jazmine Elleston (from Piscataway High School), Justiss McKinney (from Long Branch High School), Jaashir Morris (from John P. Stevens High School), Veronica Wask (Highpoint Regional High School) and Victoria Zamarra (Colts Neck High School).

Sponsors for the Extravanganza include Johnson and Johnson; Surre Goldberg and Henry Associates; United Healthcare; Americon Construction; Colgate-Palmolive; East Orange General Hospital; EmPoWER Somerset; Horizon NJ Health; Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management; ShopRite, Sanofi; Monpat Construction; the United States Olympic Committee, and more.


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