To the Editor:

The Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association wants to convey a huge thank you to our community for its amazing support of our 38th Annual FEST: “Rockin’ In Our Wellies,” held on Saturday October 5 in a huge tent on our 930 acre reserve. Nearly 300 friends helped us celebrate the 60s and 70s, (a time when modern environmentalism, rock music, and pop-art emerged), with an evening of vintage music, food and general festivity.

New additions at this year’s party included electronic bidding on our silent auction, a zany photo-booth, and collecting and sending a truck-load of waste for composting (instead of sending it to landfill). We also saluted honoree Michele Byers, executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, for her dedicated service to New Jersey’s environment.

The generosity and hard work of our volunteers, sponsors, guests, staff, and donors helped raise more than $110,000 for the Watershed Association. These funds will support conservation, advocacy, science and education initiatives, which for close to 65 years have led to open space preservation, environmental policy and funding, water quality testing, and essential educational programs for children and adults.

We are grateful to our sponsors: Bloomberg; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Church & Dwight Co., Inc.; PSEG; Janssen Pharmaceutical Inc.; PNC Bank and PNC Wealth Management; Aegis Property Group; Farewell Architects; Hopewell Valley Community Bank; Jersey Solar; and W.S. Cumby. We also wish to acknowledge special help with this event from Camden Bag & Paper Company, McCaffrey’s Market, Princeton Record Exchange, and Aztec Graphics. By supporting the Watershed, they have done a great service to the communities in Central New Jersey.

Annarie Lyles, Lori Citrone, and Bill Carmean

Fest 2013 Co-Chairs,

Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association