Elks lodge names youth ambassadors at Special Children’s Charity Ball
West Milford. Northern New Jersey Elks lodges raised about $2,000 while honoring two youth ambassadors representing children with disabilities at a charity event in West Milford.
| 28 Apr 2026 | 03:25
Elk’s North District New Jersey Special Needs Children Charity Ball: Mariella Scarpa, Special Children’s Ambassador, Jayeson Hayward, Alternate Ambassador. Kim Powell, (to the right of Jayeson) Lodge 2236 ball organizer (
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Nicole Yurchka, mother, Mariella Scarpa, 10, ambassador, Joe Scarpa, father, pose for a photo. (
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Jayeson Hayword, 7, an alternate ambassador, eats. (
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Northern New Jersey Elks lodges selected two youth ambassadors to represent children with disabilities during their annual fundraising efforts, honoring them at the Special Children’s Charity Ball on April 26.
This year’s ambassador is Mariella Scarpa, 10, of Rutherford, who received donations from lodges across the northern district during the event.
Mariella, who was deprived of oxygen at birth and suffered brain damage, attends Pillar Elementary School in Livingston, where she is a cheerleader. She enjoys riding an adaptive bicycle, loves the color purple and is a fan of the movie “Frozen.”
The alternate ambassador is Jayeson Hayward, 7, of West Milford. He has skeletal dysplasia and hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain, resulting from his premature birth.
Jayeson is a first-grade student at Maple Road School and has been dubbed “Junior Mayor” of West Milford by Mayor Michele Dale. He also enjoys playing guitar.
The Charity Ball, held at the West Milford Elks Lodge, drew about 90 attendees who gathered to celebrate and support children with special needs. The event raised approximately $2,000.