2025 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award
Congratulations to the 2025 Honorees
We thank everyone who nominated someone for this prestigious award that recognizes changemakers who are creating positive impact in their New Jersey communities. Watch the video presentation featuring the 10 inspiring Honorees who were celebrated at our 29th anniversary award ceremony at Ramapo College.
Our 2025 Making a Difference Honorees
The Honorees will be recognized at the 28th annual Making a Difference Award Ceremony on Friday, May 10 at Ramapo College.
Making a Difference
Established in 1997 by the late Russell Berrie, and managed and hosted by Ramapo College of New Jersey, the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award honors Garden State residents whose outstanding community service and heroic acts have made a substantial impact on the lives of others.
Learn more about this unique award and the impact it’s had for nearly 30 years.
Past Honorees
From the Blog
The work of our past honorees, who have tackled important issues, continues to make profound differences for NJ residents. Learn more about these remarkable individuals through their stories.
Saranne Rothberg: Meeting Cancer Head-On with Humor
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time to shine our light on Saranne Rothberg, a 2003 Making a Difference Award Honoree. A stage IV triple negative breast cancer survivor, Saranne founded ComedyCures in 1999 after her cancer diagnosis.
Meet Lewis Spears: Transforming Lives Among Jersey City’s Youth at Risk
As a middle school teacher, Lewis Spears saw so many young men failing to thrive and barely surviving school. They were being disciplined, detained and suspended, and doing poorly academically, stuck in a cycle without positive opportunities for their future. He set out to change that when he launched Kismet of Kings in 2013.
Cathy Carisi and Camp Acorn: Transforming Lives With Joy for People with Disabilities
Founded in 2001, Camp Acorn offers various recreational, therapeutic, instructional, and social programs for children and adults with special needs throughout the year.
Recent Press & Media
