Holiday cheer has descended upon the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial in Camden, NJ, where local nonprofits gathered to deck the halls - literally. The historic vessel welcomed over a dozen organizations, including schools, health foundations, and charities, for a festive Christmas tree-decorating event.
Children from Larc Norcross School took center stage, donning Santa hats and ornaments to spruce up the ships' Christmas trees. This year marks an increase in school groups visiting the battleship, with Egan Jones, board member of both the Battleship New Jersey and Larc Norcross School, stating that hosting these groups is a vital part of the ship's mission.
The partnership highlights the battleship's growing ties to local organizations, allowing visitors to learn about the nonprofit's facilities and remarkable work. "We've had more children and more schools on the ship this year than ever before," Jones said. "So, we're making a dent with our young folks and their schools so that they're better educated about the history of this country and the sacrifices people made that allow them to enjoy a trip on an old battleship."
Among the attendees were representatives from Shoes for Your Soul, Bestwork Industries for the Blind, and Inspira Health Foundation. The latter's President and CEO, Robin Walton, praised the event as an example of how the battleship plays a critical role in both its historic purpose and community service.
"It's an example of how the battleship plays a critical role, not only in our appreciation of supporting and honoring those who serve, but also as a place of community and support for all of us," Walton said. "We've been able to partner with the battleship this year around critical work we are doing that's really going to help improve the quality of wellness and innovation within our communities."
The event not only brought joy to the nonprofits represented but also provided an opportunity for staff members, including Dawn Lewis from Shoes for Your Soul, who shared heartfelt stories about their organization. For Lewis, being part of this celebration alongside her grandchildren made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As the decorated trees remain on display throughout the season, visitors will be able to learn more about the nonprofits represented on board and the remarkable work they do across South Jersey. The battleship's holiday programming continues to draw crowds from across the region, showcasing its unique blend of history, community service, and festive cheer.
Children from Larc Norcross School took center stage, donning Santa hats and ornaments to spruce up the ships' Christmas trees. This year marks an increase in school groups visiting the battleship, with Egan Jones, board member of both the Battleship New Jersey and Larc Norcross School, stating that hosting these groups is a vital part of the ship's mission.
The partnership highlights the battleship's growing ties to local organizations, allowing visitors to learn about the nonprofit's facilities and remarkable work. "We've had more children and more schools on the ship this year than ever before," Jones said. "So, we're making a dent with our young folks and their schools so that they're better educated about the history of this country and the sacrifices people made that allow them to enjoy a trip on an old battleship."
Among the attendees were representatives from Shoes for Your Soul, Bestwork Industries for the Blind, and Inspira Health Foundation. The latter's President and CEO, Robin Walton, praised the event as an example of how the battleship plays a critical role in both its historic purpose and community service.
"It's an example of how the battleship plays a critical role, not only in our appreciation of supporting and honoring those who serve, but also as a place of community and support for all of us," Walton said. "We've been able to partner with the battleship this year around critical work we are doing that's really going to help improve the quality of wellness and innovation within our communities."
The event not only brought joy to the nonprofits represented but also provided an opportunity for staff members, including Dawn Lewis from Shoes for Your Soul, who shared heartfelt stories about their organization. For Lewis, being part of this celebration alongside her grandchildren made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
As the decorated trees remain on display throughout the season, visitors will be able to learn more about the nonprofits represented on board and the remarkable work they do across South Jersey. The battleship's holiday programming continues to draw crowds from across the region, showcasing its unique blend of history, community service, and festive cheer.
It's awesome to see local nonprofits gettin' recognized for their amazing work too! 
Shoes for Your Soul, Bestwork Industries for the Blind, and Inspira Health Foundation are doin' some incredible stuff. And can we talk about how this event is bringin' staff together with their families? 
It's all about community and support, you know? They should totally do this every year! 
! It's awesome that local nonprofits are getting involved and decorating the ship with their own flair - talk about a Christmas tree-mendous time 
! But seriously, it's great to see all these groups coming together for a good cause. I mean, who wouldn't want to hang out on a historic battleship while sipping some hot cocoa 
️? The kids from Larc Norcross School rocking their Santa hats though are giving me all the festive feels 
! And I gotta say, it's pretty cool that they're making a dent in educating young folks about history and community service. It's like, totally on point, dude 
I'm loving this holiday event at the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial! It's so great to see local nonprofits coming together with schools and charities to spread some Christmas cheer on board 
What really stood out to me was Robin Walton from Inspira Health Foundation saying that the battleship plays a critical role not only in honoring those who serve but also as a place of community and support for everyone - that's so true! 
i love how the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial is making a conscious effort to engage with the community & promote education about history & social causes 
meanwhile, I'm sure Dawn Lewis from Shoes for Your Soul had an incredible time sharing her organization's story & seeing her grandkids there - that's what the holiday spirit is all about! 
Shoes for Your Soul, Bestwork Industries for the Blind, Inspira Health Foundation... these guys are the real MVPs. It's awesome that they're getting some love from the battleship and spreading awareness about their amazing work. And can we talk about how cute the kids from Larc Norcross School looked in their Santa hats? 
This event is a great reminder that even in tough times, community and connection are still really important. So, let's raise a virtual glass (of eggnog, duh!) to the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial – may your holiday programming be merry and bright! 
that the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial is hosting a Christmas tree-decorating event with local nonprofits, it's so cool! 
, especially during the holiday season when people are looking for ways to give back and spread cheer 
overall, this event is a win-win for everyone involved, and i'm sure it's going to be a blast for visitors too! 
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. I mean, I get it, it's a great way for local nonprofits to get some exposure, but do they have to make such a big deal about it? The Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial is already like, super touristy and stuff. Can't they just leave the Christmas trees alone? And what's with all these groups showing up? It's not like they're really doing anything to help the community... oh wait, I forgot, they're raising money for charity or whatever 
. Anyway, it's nice that the kids are getting involved and learning about history and stuff, but can't they just make it a regular old event instead of making such a big production out of it?
i mean, it sounds super cool that they're having a christmas tree-decorating event on a battleship, but at the same time, isn't it kinda weird to be all cheerful and stuff when you're actually a historic warship? like, shouldn't they just, idk, be a memorial or something? 
