Published on Ocean County Observer on 08/6/07

BY KEITH RUSCITTI
STAFF WRITER

LAVALLETTE — A record crowd, raising record amounts of money, was just what the doctor order yesterday morning at the fourth annual Lavallette Breast Cancer Walk.

Proceeds from the event go toward the Tone Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for breast cancer research.

"The walk was amazing once again," said organizer Robert Agliata, co-chairman of the Tone Foundation, which is named after his mother Antoinette, who is a breast cancer survivor.

"A lot of people put in time and effort to make this walk successful," said Agliata. "Each year we seemed to raise a little more money and have more and more people participating."

This year's walk raised $22,559 as 742 people participated in the 2-mile walk through Lavallette.

The walk started at Agliata's business, Music Man Ice Cream Shoppe, and proceeded along the boardwalk before circling back through the town's business district.

"It's a grassroots organization we have, where less than 15 percent goes toward overhead," said Agliata.

During the past four years, the cancer walk has raised nearly $70,000.

"Every year we like to have more people participate than the prior year, but that is not the main goal," said Agliata. "The main goal is to raise awareness about the disease. If we can do that and raise funds, it is a successful walk."