The New Jersey National Conference of Christians and Jews (NCCJ-NJ) hosted its 37th annual Jersey Shore Chapter Humanitarian Awards Dinner at the Sheraton in Eatontown this week.

Long Branch School Superintendent Joseph M. Ferraina was chairman of the event, and Dr. Jon H. Larson, president of Ocean County College, was vice chairman. Recognized at the dinner were Sarah Elshazly, chief of the community and law enorcement cooperative education unit of the Office of the Attorney General of New Jersey; Jack Kay, retired president of Shrewsbury State Bank; Violeta Peters, CEO of the AcuteCare Health System in the specialty hospitals at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch and Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood; and Diane Turton, president and broker/owner of Diane Turton Realtors.

Proceeds from the dinner benefit youth programs of the NCCJ-NJ Youth Leadership Institute.