“The response was incredibly gratifying this year,” said John Monteverde, the Executive Director of the WBID.  “It really was amazing. Not only did businesses in the Borough participate but we also got donations from organizations outside of Washington.”

In all 5,372 items, varying from toiletries to snacks, were collected from November through December. The items collected were then given to officials of Operation Jersey Care for distribution to troops around the world.

In a “friendly competition”, Gibson’s Gym collected the most items of any Washington business, 1,047. ARCANA Toys, Games & Gifts, last year’s winner, brought in 912 items this year. Warren County Pharmacy wasn’t far behind, with 892 items. Other businesses that collected large numbers of items were The Chocolate Shoppe, Fliegauf Jewelers, Andy’s Barber Shop, Stew’s Auto Body, Lost Ladies Grill, Castle Family Dentistry, Hairmazing, Hamburger Holdings, and Washington Kid Care. The charitable veterans group Rolling Thunder also collected a huge number of items for the Washington effort.

Photo, John Monteverde, middle, Executive Director of the Washington Business Improvement District, and WBID Executive Assistant Kim Koch, congratulate Mike Politano, General Manager of Gibson’s Fitness Center, and present him with a certificate of appreciation as Gibson’s was the No. 1 collector of items for troops during recent Operation Jersey Cares campaign.