Township Employees Want 'Wave of Pink' at Moorestown Night

A wave of pink.

That’s what township employee Karen Maltbie wants to see at the first-ever “Moorestown Night” at Campbell’s Field—home of the Camden Riversharks—on Sept. 20.

The pink, a symbol of the ongoing fight against breast cancer, is a tribute to fellow township employee Dorothy Samartino. Samartino, township tax collector, is a breast cancer survivor. Proceeds from ticket sales, as well as the sale of pink T-shirts and caps (i.e. the “wave of pink”), will go to support Samartino’s participation in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk in Philadelphia this fall.

Samartino, a longtime township employee, was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, and when it happened, “it touched all of us,” said township clerk Patricia Hunt.

When the Riversharks approached the township earlier this year with the idea of hosting a “Moorestown Night” at the stadium—and using the event as a possible fundraiser—Hunt and some fellow employees saw a perfect opportunity to support Samartino.

Hunt and Maltbie, along with Samartino and fellow township employees Rhuenette Lovelace and Tracey Ballinghoff, have been the driving forces behind organizing Moorestown Night.

Maltbie, who works as secretary to township manager Scott Carew, envisions the event as an opportunity for Moorestonians to come together “and forget all the problems and have fun … We want to encourage community spirit and unity.”

“We just want everybody in the community to be there,” she added.

With a population of 20,000 and a stadium capacity of between 6,000-7,000, getting everyone there might be tricky, but Maltbie said they want to pack the place with as many Moorestonians as they can.

To that end, Maltbie and the rest of her fellow organizers have been pitching the event to as many community groups as they can get in front of: the fire department, the churches, the Moorestown Business Association and the school district, among others.

“Everybody we have connected with is so excited about this—I guess because we’re excited about it,” she said. “I’m not saying donate anything, which is why I think they’re receptive. I’m just saying, ‘Be there.’”

Maltbie noted that groups who want to have a presence at Moorestown Night can take advantage of it as a fundraiser for their own cause, but so far all the groups that have agreed to take part are piggybacking on the breast cancer walk, she said.

Moorestown Night will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 20.

To purchase tickets, visit riversharks.com and when you go to purchase the ticket(s) click on “Enter Group Code Here” and use the code “MOORESTOWN.” Tickets are $7, or spend $11 to support the breast cancer walk: click on “Fundraising” and use the code “SGK” and $5 will go toward Samartino’s Susan G. Komen Walk.  

For more information, email Maltbie at kmaltbie@moorestown.nj.us. To purchase merchandise, visit the township website and on the main page, under “Moorestown News & Announcements,” click on the Moorestown Night link.