New Jersey students raise more than $8,000 for local charities with luminary fundraiser

Three Millburn High School students turned a neighborhood light display into a town-wide fundraiser for local nonprofits in Millburn and Short Hills, New Jersey. The first-year effort sold more than 4,000 luminary bags and raised over $8,000 while building a new community tradition.

Why it matters: - The Millburn-Short Hills Luminary Fund turned a simple neighborhood tradition into a fundraising model for local charities and community groups. - The first-year result shows how student-led civic projects can raise money while giving residents a visible way to participate together.

What happened: - Alex Finkelstein, Matthew Petersen and Ronan Moon co-founded The Millburn-Short Hills Luminary Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to unite Millburn and Short Hills residents through a town-wide luminary event. - The fundraiser invited residents to buy luminary bags and display them outside homes on a designated night. - The event spread across streets, sidewalks and driveways in Millburn and Short Hills. - The fundraiser took place in 2026 and raised money for local charities.

The details: - The founders built an online ordering system with QR codes to make luminary bag purchases easier. - The team researched cost-effective suppliers to keep the fundraiser accessible. - They created social media materials, flyers and outreach materials for local businesses and community partners. - The founders set up a Halloween outreach booth to share information about Luminary Night and hand out candy. - Volunteers coordinated orders and distribution routes so thousands of luminary bags could be delivered across the two towns. - The nonprofit partnered with Down the Block, the Millburn-Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad and the Millburn Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry. - Proceeds from luminary bag sales funded grants for local nonprofits serving residents with immediate needs. - New Jersey winter weather forced the organizers to move the event back one day because rain could damage the bags or interfere with the display. - The founders included sandbags in each order to help keep the luminaries in place if wind picked up. - The first-year fundraiser sold more than 4,000 luminary bags and raised over $8,000 for local charities and community members in need. - Millburn & Short Hills Magazine covered the project, and the founders presented the initiative at a member dinner for Down the Block.

Between the lines: - The project worked because participation was part of the fundraising experience, not separate from it. - Residents were donating while also creating a shared visual event across the towns, which likely helped make the effort feel more personal and community-driven. - Finkelstein said the project was meant to create something positive that would unite the town, and he said he learned leadership, organizational and problem-solving skills from the effort.

What's next: - Finkelstein, Petersen and Moon plan to train future students to carry the nonprofit forward after they graduate. - The group wants Luminary Night to remain a recurring community tradition in Millburn and Short Hills. - Community members can follow @luminaryfundofmsh on Instagram for updates on the next Luminary Night, luminary bag sales and ways to get involved. - Questions about the organization can be sent to luminaryfundofmsh@gmail.com.

The bottom line: - A student-built fundraiser in Millburn and Short Hills raised real money and created a new neighborhood ritual at the same time.