HIGHTSTOWN, N.J. – The New Jersey Credit Union Foundation (NJCUF) has recently donated $60,982.55 on behalf of New Jersey's Credit Unions for hurricane relief and the National Credit Union Foundation's National Disaster Relief Fund – overreaching its initial goal by more than $10,000. "I am so proud of our credit unions," said NJCUF Chairman John DiNofrio. "Quite a few of our larger credit unions stepped up to the plate and made considerable contributions for which we are truly grateful." DiNofrio credits individual involvement of credit unions raising funds via efforts ranging from bake sales and knitting items for raffles, to sponsoring "dollar denim days" and "walls of hope". The New Jersey Credit Union Foundation began raising funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated parts of the US Gulf Coast in late September. The effort was expanded after Hurricane Rita added to the destruction a few weeks later. One hundred percent of the monies raised by the NJCUF were donated to NCUF to be distributed to those in the greatest need. "Our credit unions truly showed that big or small, we can make a difference," said Robert S. Walls, Sr., president/CEO of the New Jersey Credit Union League, which also contributed funds to the effort. New Jersey credit unions that contributed to the effort include: ABCO FCU, ACCO Princeton FCU, ADP FCU, Atlantic FCU, Bay Atlantic FCU, CAMCO FCU, Credit Union of New Jersey, E53 FCU, East Orange Veteran's Affairs Hospital FCU, Elizabeth NJ Firemen's FCU, Essex County Teachers FCU, Essex Division Telephone FCU, First Jersey FCU, Fort Billings FCU, Garden Savings FCU, IRCO Community FCU, Local 194-6 FCU, Manville Area FCU, Merck Employees FCU, Montclair Postal Employees FCU, Morristown FCU, Novartis FCU, Parlin Dupont Employees FCU, Polish & Slavic FCU, Princeton University FCU, Public Service Hudson County Employees FCU, Rutgers FCU, South Jersey FCU, and United Teletech Financial FCU. The New Jersey Credit Union League along with several of its chapters made contributions including: Bergen-Passaic; Essex-West Hudson, and Union-Morris. Individual contributions were made by: Ann & Glenn South, Adegboyega Otufale, Tracy & Bert Sussman, Rose M. Novotny and Robert S. Walls, Sr.