Six Flags Great Adventure opened its gates to thousands of children and families Sunday for its annual Day of Giving.
The event offered free admission, free food and an hour of exclusive park access before it opened to families connected with local nonprofit organizations.
MTV's "Jersey Shore" reality television personality Jenni “JWoww” Farley represented one of the six nonprofits that participated in the event. They included Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, A Kid Again, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern NJ, Project Purple, the Michael Ann & Saquon Barkley Hope Foundation and KultureCity.
Ryan Eldredge, of Six Flags Great Adventure, said the day always has a special meaning at the park,
“When people talk about it, it’s a heartwarming moment, but there are certain things in life that you feel,” Eldredge said. “When you see the kids coming in, for a lot of them it’s their first experience in a theme park, or it’s their first time being there in a long time because they’ve been dealing with a critical illness. It just makes you warm inside.”
Farley represented KultureCity, a nonprofit that works with venues to become more sensory-accessible. Farley said her son Greyson’s own health journey made the day especially meaningful for her family.
“To be able to stand next to Children’s Specialized Hospital, who helped me for so many things. If you were to ask me eight years ago where I would be, I would not be here,” Farley said. “I would not be here with Greyson, celebrating all our wins, celebrating my daughter’s birthday here. It’s just such a beautiful moment.”
Farley and Greyson said they were looking forward to getting funnel cake and hitting the rides, including "The Joker," before the day was through.