HIGHLANDS – A hoard ran through this bay shore borough Saturday morning – but this was a troop bent on construction, not destruction.
Hundreds of volunteers came out for Hope For Highlands, a whirlwind rebuilding effort taking aim at one of the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy.
“This is fantastic – it is exactly what our town needs,” Highlands Mayor Frank Nolan said. “What started here has grown to a great thing.”
Nolan played triple roles, helping volunteers rebuilding a boardwalk and erecting a playground in Veterans Memorial Park, speaking to members of the national press and helping corral his children amidst the crowd – luckily, a bevvy of state and federal officials were on hand to satiate the reporters.
“Some people think we may have forgotten about the damage to the Jersey shore,” Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno said. “In the days following the storm, (Nolan) opened his arms to the people of New Jersey when his town was devastated… now, the very least we can do is give back to his town.”
Nolan said of around 1,500 homes in the borough, 1,250 were damaged by the storm – over 1,000 of them received significant damage.
“Once the shock and awe wears off, you look around and you’re ready to rebuild,” Nolan said. “We’re ready to go – Highlands is going to be open for business this summer.”
Highlands received a boost from Comcast, the cable giant made the borough the centerpiece of Comcast Cares day, a nationwide mobilization of 70,000 community volunteers.
“This is the largest single day ever corporately sponsored by Comcast,” Guadagno said.
Comcast was a later addition to the event, which was originally the brainchild of the Highlands Business Partnership, a local development non-profit association. Gradually, the event drew attention from corporations like Sherwin-Williams and Raymour & Flanigan, and non-profit groups like the New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association and Rebuilding Together.
Comcast President Neil Smit was on hand to give the Highlands Business Partnership a $25,000 check.
“We raised around $12 million for hurricane victims,” Smit said. “We live in your communities – the least we could do is give back to your community.”
As the numbers swelled, local and state political leaders and the national media took notice – Hope For Highlands was featured on Saturday’s broadcast of NBC’s Today Show.
The volunteers scattered throughout the borough, gardening, sweeping, painting and rebuilding businesses and homes. The Highlands American Legion Post 143, Chilangos Mexican restaurant and the Highlands First Aid station, all damaged by the storm, were of particular focus.
The volunteers also dedicated a playground for Daniel Barden, a 7 year old killed in December’s mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., as part of the Where Angels Play project spurred by the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association.
“Instead of remembering children for the horror that took place that day, we’ll remember their beautiful lives,” Bill Lavin, president of the Firefighters’ Mutual Benevolent Association, said.
As the morning waned, the news networks dispersed, the corporate executives evaporated, the big-ticket politicians faded into the woodwork, leaving Mayor Nolan and a regiment of volunteers sweating through the heavy labor.
Nolan said the borough would be ready for Memorial Day weekend, when a flood of tourists are expected to return to Gateway National Recreational Area and enjoy Sandy Hook’s pristine beaches.
“This is the final phase of our rebuilding,” Nolan said. “80 percent of our business will be open, and we’re hoping to get the other 20 percent open between Memorial Day and July 4.”
Nolan was optimistic that many Highlands residents who moved away or are thinking about moving away in the storm’s aftermath will return.
“Moving away, that is an initial reaction,” he said. “It is an emotional decision – they’ll remember that they love where they live.”