Sangeeta Doshi (clockwise from top left), Andrew Passalacqua, Joyce Pierce and Colleen Bianco Bezich will receive the Camden County Freedom Medal for service to their communities.
Four residents from Cherry Hill and Haddonfield will be honored at the 2025 Camden County Freedom Medal Ceremony on Wednesday for improving their respective communities.
The award – created by the Camden County Board of Commissioners in 2001 – is being presented to 13 civic leaders who demonstrate ideals and actions that reflect the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since its inception 24 years ago, more than 1,200 Camden County residents have received the prestigious honor.
Among the 13 awardees for this year are Cherry Hill’s Sangeeta Doshi and Andrew Passalacqua, and Haddonfield’s Colleen Bianco Bezich and Joyce Pierce.
Doshi has served the Cherry Hill community for more than two decades through participation in an array of organizations, including the Domestic Violence Response Team, the District IV Legal Ethics Committee, Moms Demand Action, the Indian Cultural Center and Indian Temple Association, the Camden Air Quality Committee, Inspiring South Asian American Women, the New Jersey Leadership Program, the Asian American Alliance in South Jersey and the North South Foundation.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Medal,” said Doshi. “MLK’s philosophies incorporated many of Gandhi’s teachings that we were raised with. We were taught to always give back, volunteer and to leave everywhere better than you found it.
“I am grateful, lucky and blessed that with the support of family, mentors and colleagues, I can contribute positively to my community. Thank you.”
Passalacqua, a student at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, is making a meaningful difference in South Jersey through his service project, Crayons for Courts. After observing a child as young as 5 years old endure the anxiety of a courtroom setting, Passalacqua was inspired to act. He raised nearly $3,000 to purchase more than 6,000 packets of crayons, 3,000 coloring books, 2,000 activity books and stickers. His first donation was to the Camden County courthouse.
Bezich is committed to championing diversity and inclusion, as well as serving underserved communities. As mayor of Haddonfield, she has supported events such as LGBTQ+ Pride, Juneteenth and Diwali. She also mentors refugee children through the Diocese of Camden’s Office of Migration and Refugee Services, and has supported organizations such as LUCY Outreach, where she served as a board member, and Cathedral Kitchen.
“I’m humbled and overwhelmed, and honestly still in shock,” Bezich acknowledged, “because I had nominated another individual who is so deserving of this award, and upon learning that she would be honored, I found out that I had also been nominated.”
Pierce, a former teacher in Haddonfield, former councilwoman and acting mayor of Lawnside, was nominated by Bezich. Pierce has shown a passionate dedication to the students and people of the borough, with a goal to always ensure that her students received a consistent, high-quality education.
Each year, the commissioners set out to identify county residents who exemplify the teachings of King, specifically those who’ve contributed over time to making significant, tangible improvements that benefit their communities. The awards are based strictly on volunteer work, excluding any remuneration.
“The individuals selected for this prestigious award display true commitment to making the world a better place through actions such as community service, teaching and more,” explained Commissioner Jonathan Young. “It warms my heart to know that we have so many incredible, selfless people who call Camden County home and who are dedicated to serving their communities.”
The 2025 Camden County Congressional Award will also be presented at the medal ceremony, scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Collingswood Ballroom, 315 White Horse Pike. Young is this year’s recipient.
