Front yard concert raises money for women’s health

BYRAM – The third annual Brizstock festival, an evening of music, food, fun and prizes, was held Friday, September 12, in the front yard at host Rob Davidson’s home in the township. The event, named after local musician Briz Conard who plays frequently at Salt GastroPub in Byram, is a fundraiser for the Sussex County Women’s Forum, a non-profit organization that supports free mammograms and breast cancer screenings.
Davidson is also the founder of the Salt Shakers, a 100-member strong running club that calls the pub home and has a penchant for raising money for women’s health issues. Many members of the club pair their running goals with raising money for SCWF. And while

the music festival is open to anyone, club members made up the majority of the audience.
A silent auction featuring a signed Dave Matthews guitar, local artwork and gift baskets, along with donations, netted $5,760 for SCWF at this year’s event said Davidson. According to Davidson the club has raised more than $10,000 in 2014 for the Women’s Forum.
“Whatever you do this evening, whether it’s a ripple or a wave, it gets to the shore,” said Mare Galeos, founder and president of SCWF, while addressing the crowd. “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“It is the best feeling in the world to help other people,” said Davidson. “When I mix running, music and having fun—and the result is helping other people—the feeling is awesome.”
The Sussex County Women’s Forum, also known as Friend2Friend, was founded in 1999 when Galeos, a retired nurse, saw a need to help women get mammograms. The organization serves non-insured, under insured and women making less than $60,000, saying that some working moms would rather spend their money on their family’s health rather than their own. Galeos said women from throughout the state are welcome to use the service.
Galeos estimates that her organization, which also hosts running events to help raise funds, has helped more than 400 women over the past 14 years. She said she has seen an increase in involvement this year with more than 40 women participating in the program since December. She credits “word of mouth” advertising as the catalyst for the increase in participants. The cost to her organization for each participant is between $150 and $200 she said.
For more information about SCWF visit http://friend2friendscwf.com. For information about Salt Shakers running club visit
http://www.saltshakersrun.com.