Watchung Hills Alums' Donation Honors Friend's Memory

Saint Barnabas recently received $16,000 from the Aspiring Kindness Foundation for The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center to purchase of equipment to help burn victims.

"We chose Saint Barnabas Medical Center due to the critical role the Burn Center played with the Seton Hall tragedy,” Jason Tarantino, president and founding member of the Aspiring Kindness Foundation, said. "This is Aspiring Kindness Foundation’s largest donation since we launched in 2011 and we are very proud."

The Aspiring Kindness Foundation was founded in January of 2010 by Shaun Fine, Corey Frueler, Sameer Joshi, Aron Lukacs, Sean Magee, Jim Merizio, Michael Merizio and Jason Tarantino—friends since their days at Watchung Hills Regional High School—as a way to honor the memory of their close friend, Aaron Karol. Mr. Aaron Karol lost his life in the January 2000 Seton Hall University fire. 

The Aspiring Kindness Foundation selected The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center because of their efforts on behalf of all of the students injured in the Seton Hall University Fire. 

“We are grateful for the generosity of Aspiring Kindness Foundation. We are humbled by the tireless efforts and commitment of the foundation members to remember their friend while improving the lives of others,” E. Hani Mansour, Medical Director of The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, said.  

The Aspiring Kindness Foundation’s fundraising efforts benefit fire departments/EMTs/ambulatory services, hospital burn units, and the Aaron Karol memorial scholarship.

This is the first time that Aspiring Kindness Foundation has donated to The Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

Submitted by St. Barnabas Medical Center