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Christie’s ‘Cameo’ Fundraising Comes As Surprise To Center For Great Expectations

Former Gov. Chris Christie established this Cameo page to help raise money for the Center for Great Expectations.

Former Gov. Chris Christie recently established a Cameo.com page to raise money for the township-based Center for Great Expectations, a fact which came as a surprise to the center’s founder and executive director.

“That is so cool,” exclaimed Peg Wright, the center’s founder, when told of the campaign. “I will have to thank him for it.”

Cameo is a web site through which one can “book” celebrities in various walks of life to record video messages, for a fee. Christie recently established his space, offering video messages for $200.

All of the money raised goes to the Center, which Christie visited many times while in office.

The Center for Great Expectations “provides transformational mental health and substance use disorder treatment to women, children, men and families impacted by trauma, abuse and neglect,” according to its web site.

“Governor Christie is a staunch supporter of treatment in general and a huge fan of the Center for Great Expectations,” Wright said. “He totally gets it.”

“When he would meet with our clients, he would talk to them about their courage to embrace help,” she said. “The clients would feel completely at ease, and quite frankly blown away by sitting with the Governor of the State of New jersey who would offer them compassion and a care. It was a beautiful thing to witness.”

Wright said she first met Christie after he became governor through a mutual friend, former Somerset County Republican Chairman Dale Florio.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for (Christie), specifically as it relates to how he interfaces with folks with substance abuse disorders,” Wright said.

Christie did not respond to a request for comment.

The Cameo effort was usurped by Montana Democratic party operatives who duped Christie into recording a message that was used by Mike Cooney, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, to troll his Republican opponent, Rep. Greg Gianforte, a former New Jersey resident.

In the video, which Christie believed was meant for a man named Greg, the former governor extols the virtues of the Garden State and tells “Greg” that he needs to come back home.

When he found out he had been trolled, Christie made another video, calling the prank “dirty” and “underhanded.”

The Center, which relies heavily on donations, held its annual gala – albeit virtually – on October 29. Those wishing to make donations can do so by clicking here.

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