The first phase of a great Winter Basketball and Anti-bullying program for 4th to 7th graders has just concluded. Sponsored by our Club, in partnership with the Yonkers Police Athletic League and YMCA, the program met for the last 6 Saturdays of 2018. The last session of the Winter season was celebrated with a Pizza Party and certificates were handed out to the participants.
The program is part of the Rotary International Global Grant Project which brought together an amazing partnership of Rotary Clubs and like-minded organizations. Club Member Pete Spano conceived the project and through his persistence and with the help of Past District Governor Janet DiBenedetto received support of a Rotary Club in South Korea. Together, with the fund-raising by the Nancy Lieberman Foundation, the Rotary Foundation provided matching grants for the construction 2 Basketball Courts in Yonkers and organizing 2 programs providing Anti-Bullying training and a Basketball Clinic for young people in Yonkers.
Both Yonkers organizations - the Police Athletic League and the YMCA provided valuable knowledge, and life lessons to the youth in our community. Thanks also to SportsNet New York (SNY) Play Ball for seeing value in what we're doing, and donating basketballs to our program.
The Programs were run by Pete Spano, Tom Meier, Barbara Hanna. Past District Governor Greg Arcaro was a special mentor for the Program. Thanks to all of the parents, coaches, teachers, leaders, mentors, and children that participated.