Michael's Feat Annual Picnic

Tim and Laura Gaedt, the parents of triplets, will be the honored family when the 12th Annual Michael’s Feat Family Picnic is held on Saturday, August 4 at the YMCA Camp Arrowhead in Marlboro to benefit families of seriously-ill newborns in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

The event, scheduled from 1-5 p.m., annually draws a crowd of over 300 and features fun activities for the entire family.  Michael’s Feat, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is named in loving memory of Michael Gerard Puharic, born July 29, 2000 to Adam and Dana Puharic. Although Michael
lived for just 83 hours; his legacy lives on through the hundreds of families that have been helped by Michael’s Feat over the past 11 years.

Each year Michael’s Feat honors a family with the Heather Rose Tribute of Courage Award.  The award was created
in memory of Heather Rose Kiss who lost her fight to a rare autoimmune reaction. This year’s recipients, the Gaedt family of Neptune, received assistance from Michael’s Feat following the birth of their triplets, Ava, Jared and Sophia at 28 weeks at Jersey Shore University
Medical Center on September 8, 2011. The triplets were in the NICU for 11 weeks. While the triplets are happy and thriving at home, Jared continues to struggle with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL); Sophia has auditory neuropathy, a rare hearing disorder and Ava has a
kidney condition that is monitored closely.

“It helps to know someone is in your corner like Michael’s Feat is. When you’re going through it you feel the world is on your shoulders. Then, when you’re able to speak with other parents that have gone through the same thing, a load is taken off those shoulders. We are truly grateful for all that Michael’s Feat has done for our family.”

“My husband Adam and I were so blessed to have baby Michael in our lives, however short the time was, because he not only changed our lives, but has impacted the lives of so many other families over the past 11 years. It is that legacy which we will celebrate on August 4, a week after the 12th anniversary of his birth,” said Dana Puharic.

Held at the beautiful and spacious YMCA Camp Arrowhead in Marlboro on Route 520, the event features something for the entire family to enjoy. A barbeque buffet, covered picnic area, a swimming pool with lifeguard on duty, crafts, face painting, inflatable rides and live musical entertainment highlight the program from 1-5 p.m.

Admission prices are: Adults $25, Children aged 4-10 $12 and Age 3 and under free.  There is an immediate family plan of $70. Register online at www.michaelsfeat.org before August 1 and save $10 on a family rate and $5 on one adult admission.

Michael’s Feat’s mission is to provide comfort and support for families facing a health crisis with their newborns. This mission has been carried out throughout Monmouth and Ocean Counties, assisting hundreds of families facing a health crisis with their newborns, ensuring that all the needs of families are met. Among the many resources available to families are direct financial support; overnight bags stuffed with supplies for those families that have to stay in the hospital; furniture and medical equipment; meals and gas cards; and even respite care for the siblings of the ill newborns.

For more information visit: www.michaelsfeat.org.