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On March 12, Kids’ Club was honored by the Village of Tarrytown and the Village of Sleepy Hollow for having donated more than $1 million to support underserved youth in these communities since our founding in 2009. At a ceremony at Warner Library, Tarrytown Village Trustee Becky McGovern proclaimed March 12th as “Kids’ Club Day” and Sleepy Hollow Mayor Ken Wray acknowledged the impact Kids’ Club has had on the communities it serves. New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Westchester County Legislator Margaret A. Cunzio also issued proclamations in honor of our milestone contribution.
The event included a presentation by Kids’ Club Directors to Mayor Wray and Trustees from both Villages of a symbolic $1 million check representing the donations Kids’ Club has marshaled and granted to local programs that benefit underserved youth and their families. Those grantees include these not-for-profit organizations:
The Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown
Family YMCA at Tarrytown
Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
The Guidance Center of Westchester
The Korean Church of Westchester
Latino U College Access
Let’s Get Ready
Let’s Play! A Place for Families
Open Door Family Medical Center
RSHM LIFE Center
Rivertown Dance Academy
Shames JCC on the Hudson
Tarrytown Music Hall Academy
Tarrytown Union Free School District
Teatown Lake Reservation
Village of Sleepy Hollow
Village of Tarrytown
Warner Library
Mayor Wray showed his appreciation for Kids’ Club’s Directors by saying that “people who live here and volunteer their time to work with other families that are not as fortunate as they are means an enormous amount to us. … Organizations like yours strengthen our community and help us remember what it is we are all here for. No matter what I say, I’m not going to be able to thank you all enough.”
Kids’ Club President Jennifer Liddy Green put the event in context by sharing, “It definitely is a proud moment for us to stand here with you and celebrate our work. But that’s not really why we are here. We are not here to pat ourselves on the back, … and then go our separate ways. We are here to draw attention to our mission, because we are not done. The needs in our community are as great as ever. Our next grant cycle begins in April and we already are being approached with requests for funding for even more important programming. So we thank you for helping us shine a light on our organization, we thank our many supporters for helping us reach this milestone through their donations, and we welcome more members of our community to get to know us, and support us as volunteers or board members or financially, knowing that every dollar you give to Kids’ Club goes directly to help support the children in our community.”
Earlier in the day, President Green and Director Shiloh Mackey visited the RSHM LIFE Center’s After School Program in Sleepy Hollow. There, they presented Executive Director Sr. Susan Gardella with a check to help fund this vital program, and brought cake for the children in celebration of the fact that this grant funding brings Kids’ Club’s total donations to the community over the $1 million threshold.