PRINCETON NJ Press Release

Princeton-Blairstown Center's 2025 Soirée Under the Stars Supports Local Youth

PRINCETON, NJ, May 19, 2025—The Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) held its annual signature fundraising event, Soirée Under the Stars at Springdale Golf Club on Friday, May 9, 2025.  Co-Chairs Randy Stephens and Linda Twining led a dynamic benefit committee to plan this successful fundraising event, which brought together supporters and friends to benefit increased equity and access to high quality outdoor education for students from underserved communities.   At the event, Eleanor Horne was honored with the 2025 Frank Broderick Award and Johnson & Johnson was honored with the 2025 Rev. David H. McAlpin, Jr. Community Champion Award.

The benefit raised funds to support the Princeton-Blairstown Center's award-winning Summer Bridge Program which provides hundreds of students from Trenton and Newark with award-winning summer programming each year. The Summer Bridge Program is designed to combat summer learning loss with engaging, hands-on curriculum focused on literacy, social & emotional learning, and STEM, as well as outdoor experiences such as canoeing, kayaking, swimming, high- and low-ropes course adventures, and roasting s'mores over campfires.

PBC President & CEO Kerri Strauss shared, "At PBC, we work every day to provide high-quality summer enrichment opportunities to make sure that kids have experiences that ignite their curiosity and teach them to explore their environment."

The event was attended by 160 people and raised over $75,000 to send 125 young people to Summer Bridge at no cost. Attendees heard firsthand about the Center's positive impact on young people from Natali Garcia, a high school student, who shared how her experiences at PBC have shaped her life. 

Natali shared, "The Princeton-Blairstown Center has played a huge part in who I am today. Because of PBC, I am much more outgoing. Not only that, but I learned how to advocate for myself more, and I can now set healthy boundaries with others. I wouldn't be the person I am today without PBC. I will always be grateful to PBC for helping me believe what my science teacher, Ms. Sumner, saw in me: that I AM a leader."

Shawn Maxam, PBC Board Chair, presented Eleanor Horne with the Frank Broderick Award.  Like the award's namesake Princeton Alumnus Frank Broderick '43, Horne personifies the values lived by Dr. Broderick in her efforts to lead local community and national organizations committed to increasing educational equity and access to women, people of color, and those with limited financial means.

Maxam continued by recognizing Johnson & Johnson with the Rev. David H. McAlpin, Jr. Community Champion Award.  "Like Rev. David McAlpin '50, whose Princeton undergraduate years helped form his life of advocacy and activism, Johnson & Johnson demonstrates a strong commitment to put a healthy mind, body, and environment within reach of all young people."   

About the Princeton-Blairstown Center

The Princeton-Blairstown Center is an outdoor education center that serves young people, primarily from historically marginalized communities, by nurturing their social-emotional skills through experiential, environmental, and adventure-based programming. Developing these skills enables our participants to engage in self-discovery and transform their communities to create a more just world.