(upbeat music) - Recently I had the chance to sit down with Angelica Berrie, the President of the Board of Trustees at The Russell Berrie Foundation.

30 years the foundation has been acknowledging, recognizing, honoring people who are making a difference.

The Making a Difference Award, you see it behind me, the logo.

These people are extraordinary.

The leadership of this foundation has been extraordinary.

This is the conversation with the President of the Board, Angelica Berrie.

Angelica, let's go back three decades.

Why did Russ start these Making a Difference Awards?

- He wanted to inspire people with amazing human beings whose stories haven't been told, who were unknown in their communities, and who have stories that will inspire others to follow by example.

And we've done that very, very successfully thanks to your efforts to amplify their stories, and we will continue doing that long after this award is finished.

- Explain that part, long after the awards are finished.

- Continuity is important for The Berrie Foundation and what we've done is we created a special category called the Ripple Awards, and these awards are meant to connect past honorees with emerging leaders and to be able to share wisdom, experience, and best practices so that long after the award is finished, it was never meant to be the award itself as the culmination of the values we wanted to preserve.

It's the spirit of generosity in New Jersey that we want to transmit.

And that spirit, I think, is carried by people.

And having past honorees pass on the torch is, I think, the most exciting part of the journey.

So this is not the end, Steve.

- You know, you've been talking about this Ripple for years.

For those who are hearing that term, the Ripple, explain where that came from for you and why it is as important today than ever.

- Because we believe one small act can make a difference and one person transmitting one value to another, whether it's lifting another person up, encouraging them to keep going, and to be able to recognize the same spark in others, I think this is what will carry on without us.

And this is just simply human connection, and it spreads.

You know, one person strengthens community, the community's enriched, and it's transformed by that one act that ripples out.

So that's how we explain the ripple effect, and that's why it's called the Ripple Awards.

- Yeah, it's a great name for them.

You know, as we get ready to celebrate 30 years of honorees, we'll be in this hall, the Berrie Auditorium, right?

Berrie center.

I'm always amazed, Angelica, that every time I meet as, and I've been proud to host these events for, MC these events for the last several decades.

- And you've met every single honoree.

- And that's what I'm about to tell you, is that I am struck every year by the impact, I'm not gonna make it about me, but the impact it has on me, because I realize that there are so many people who are, as Russ said and you said in the beginning, unsung heroes not looking for recognition.

It is a very emotional and powerful and impactful experience even after 30 years, for you as well.

- It's satisfying, Steve, in a way that we've seeded a field, a field of heroes, and I think that's the most important legacy we leave behind, to be able to have a full harvest of people who will continue to do good, whether we're here or not.

And that I think is our lasting contribution, and they're across all of New Jersey.

- Yeah.

Legacy.

Were you thinking, do you think Russ was thinking about, and do you think about, have you been thinking about all along legacy?

Or the legacy is the legacy, it's the work, it's the impact?

- It's the unintended but very wonderful consequence of these awards.

I think we did not expect to last 30 years.

We didn't know who would show up and whether we'd find enough people.

But Ramapo and your messaging on your show has been a great amplifier, and the most important thing is how people listen to these stories and relate to their own community and understand that this idea of making a difference applies not just to the person who won the award, but the people who are watching.

We shouldn't wait for heroes, because we are the change, we have to do things ourselves.

- Last question.

You and I were talking earlier about changes in media, technological changes, AI being what AI is, who knows what it's gonna be.

But this is what I'm curious about in terms of your perspective on this.

Making a difference, helping other people will never go out of style.

- It won't, because philanthropy is the gift of who you are.

And I think that when you give all of who you are to where you're going, it doesn't matter if someone saw it or not, it changes something.

And that's the whole idea that Russ had, one act can make a difference and you can change your own corner of the world.

- Finally, for me to have been able to do this for 30 years with you, with the board, with the staff, with the folks in Ramapo, with the honorees who are recognized, it is not always the case in media that you get to say that what you do with others, the work you do makes a difference.

I wanna say thank you and the fact that, and I wanna share the fact that I feel tremendous gratitude to have been part of a not-for-profit on our end who has received the gift of support from the foundation to allow us to feature these people.

That does not happen all the time, so thank you.

- And it's been a gift as well to partner with you, Steve, because those stories couldn't have been told, and I think the importance of what Russ wanted was that there should be positive stories.

The news is always negative and you have helped us to do that and I thank you for 30 years of a really wonderful relationship.

- Our honor.

Thank you.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by The Adubado Center for Media Leadership.

Valley Bank.

The New Jersey Education Association.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

PSE&G.

EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

A New Jersey health foundation program.

in support of the Adler Aphasia Center.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

And by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Promotional support provided by CIANJ, and Commerce Magazine.

And by NJBIZ.

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