Private funding from the Glover-Crask Charitable Trust and the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation made it possible for 200 inner-city youth (ages 10 to 13) to benefit from Monroe Community College’s annual Summer Youth Sports Program in July. Because of private and public support, the program was offered for the 40th consecutive year, free of charge.
MCC’s SYSP is modeled after the former National Youth Sports Program, which was federally funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services until 2007. On an annual basis, the four-week program features daily indoor and outdoor athletic activities as well as educational programs on health and nutrition, drugs and alcohol avoidance, personal decision-making, higher education guidance and career training. A restorative justice program, focused on peaceful relationship building and problem solving, was added this year.
Representatives of Glover-Crask Charitable Trust and the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation witnessed first-hand the significant impact the program’s academic, athletic and leadership activities has on individual participants. “We were proud to help fund the PAC Center at MCC,” said Roger Gardner, president of the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation. “Now we need to make sure it is filled with young people. We were pleased to be able to provide funding for this meaningful program that benefits our community.”
Funding from the John F. Wegman Fund, under the umbrella of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, enabled 50 children of deployed military personnel to attend the program. The experience was designed to help the children cope with altered family models, self-esteem issues and fear of trauma while one or both parents are deployed.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Polisseni Foundation, New York State Assemblyman David Gantt, and the City of Rochester also contributed to the success of this year’s camp by assisting with general operating, transportation, medical and health-related expenses.
Rosanna Condello
College and Community Relations
08/04/2009 |