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Sarah Sharp, 15, of Sea Girt said she knew Julianne Hendrickson well; they were classmates at Sea Girt Elementary School. So she was devastated when she heard about her friend's sudden death."Losing Julianne was really a hard thing. She was always really nice, always smiling and fun to be with," Sharp said.
Fourteen-year-old Julianne Hendrickson and her 9-year-old sister, Emily, were killed in a plane crash Aug. 6 in Sitka, Alaska. Their father, Robert Hendrickson, 45, of Spring Lake Heights, and his fiancee, Linda Khudair, 34, of Wall, also were killed.
A hokeypokey event to support the Julianne and Emily Hendrickson Fund for Children took place Saturday afternoon at the Fifth Avenue boardwalk and beach. Saturday marked the first time the event was put on, said Lu Stierman, an event coordinator, and it is planned to become annual.
Participants gathered and made a circle. When the music kicked in, the event started, and it lasted for about 20 minutes.
Coordinators said more than 500 people took part, and the event raised more than $3,000. The
Hendrickson Fund's mission is to break the cycle of poverty and welfare through outdoor experiential education, according to the event flier.
"It's really amazing to look out there and see how many people came out," Stierman said.
There were two main objectives on Saturday: to raise money for the organization and to attempt to get into the Guinness World Records as the largest hokeypokey event.
Lindsay Holeman, 25, of Marlboro said, "This event not only generates support for the cause, but it also educates the community."
The sun was shining, and dancers were comfortable wearing T-shirts in weather that was unseasonably warm in contrast to the snow earlier in the week.
Kevin Kennedy, 52, of Toms River stood on the boardwalk at Fifth Avenue watching his wife and 12-year-old daughter, Olivia Kennedy, among a swarm of other participants.
"I think anytime you get people together for a community event, it has a positive outcome," Kevin Kennedy said. "You're creating goodwill, and during times we have right now, that is what we need."
Click here to visit official website
http://www.hendricksonfundforchildren.org/
