Mason lodge will receive award for child ID effort
Pride in Milltown Day scheduled for Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

MILLTOWN - The borough's Revitalization Committee will honor Milltown Masons Lodge 294 for outstanding community service and its annual child identification program at Pride In Milltown Day Saturday.

George Stamm, worshipful master of the Masons lodge, will accept the award during the 11:30 a.m. welcoming ceremony.

"The Milltown Masons approached me in 2001 about running a child ID program as part of the day's activities," said Pride in Milltown Day Chairwoman Patty Murray. "Their program was an immediate success. That first year, they processed over 100 children and provided parents with complete descriptive profiles of their children for use in an emergency."

Murraybelieves the ID program is a "valuable resource that parents hope they never have to use, but understand they need."

The Milltown Masons' Child ID Program has grown over the years, processing hundreds of children and becoming an essential part of Pride in Milltown Day, she said.

"We are honored to be able to partner with the Masons and present them with this community service award as a small token of our appreciation," Murray said, noting that the Masonic mission is founded on morality, brotherly love and charity.

This year, the Child ID Program will be expanded and go digital as members of New Jersey's Grand Lodge join the Milltown Masons. For the first time, parents will receive a digital picture of their child, along with a digital disc containing a one-minute interview with the child. Each year, updated interviews can be added to the disc so parents have a progress record of how their child grows.

Also new this year, parents will receive a dental imprint and DNA sample, which is sealed in a protective container that preserves it for five years. For a free child ID profile, parents can bring their children to the Milltown Senior Citizens Center on Violet Terrace from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The ninth annual Pride in Milltown Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Borough Park, John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Violet Terrace. Rain date is Sunday.

The event will feature activities such as the morning cleanup, business expo, community pride fair, arts and crafts expo, pet contest, athletic competitions, bounce and slide attractions, expanded classic car show and a show featuring the magic and illusions of George Reiger.

The main attraction is a concert by the Party Dolls.

The event is possible because of the support of sponsors, including overall sponsor the Provident Bank, gold lead sponsor CME Associates and silver lead sponsor Heritage Plaza Ryders Lane.

For more information on the day's activities and sponsors, visit www.milltownnj.org.