GlobalGiving.org: Kate MacKenzie: Helping Special Needs Youth Play

KEEN New York is Falling Into a New Season!

Nichole Cerimele — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:12:41 GMT

Football

With Labor Day just a few days away, the fall season starts for many, especially for KEEN New York. For us, it means the Bronx sports program is about to start up again and our annual gala is just a couple months away. To look back to see what we have accomplished this year has been amazing. We were able to expand our swim program in June, allowing an additional 40 children the chance to swim!! One of the new families to the program wrote this:

"My best regards to all the staff/volunteers that impacted my son's life during the sessions. Almost every day he says: "Mommy, going swimming today, or Big Gym today, Mommy."

We were able to accomplish that with your help!! From the bottom of our hearts at KEEN New York- Thank You!!!

Sincerely,

KEEN New York

Links:

KEEN New York Website

Here we GROW again!

Nichole Cerimele — Sun, 22 May 2011 20:56:00 GMT

Race

As spring brings in flowers and warmth, KEEN New York is growing in so many ways! On June 26th, KEEN New York will join the Achilles Hope and Possibility race to bring athletes with disabilities and able-bodied athletes together in a celebration of running. Raffles, free t-shirts for kids, give promise of a great day in the park! Best of all- every KEEN athlete will get to participate for free! For adults to run the race, there is a fee and you will need to register through the New York Road Runners.

There are many ways to support KEEN New York in the Achilles Hope and Possibility Race!

- Sign your child up to participate in the race! All children are able to compete (please e-mail Nichole at NCerimele@KEENnewyork.org to get an application)

- Create a fundraising page and spread the word about our cause while raising money (link is below)

- Volunteer to help a KEEN athlete cross the finish line (please e-mail Nichole at NCerimele@KEENnewyork.org if you are interested)

- If you are an adult, sign up to run the race and join us in the 5 mile adventure!

- Or simply donate to help us continue to help children with special needs have fun!

In addition, KEEN New York is getting ready to expand our swim program. Our first new swim session will begin in June and will help an additional 35 families! We were able to create this new program with your help by being able to buy more swim caps, pay for more pool time and get some cool new toys. Thank you for your continue support of KEEN New York!

Links:

Happy Birthday to KEEN New York!

Nichole Cerimele — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:37:17 GMT

Happy Athlete

A little over three years ago KEEN New York started with an one hour sports program and just three athletes. Today, we serve 160 children in three programs (Manhattan sports, the Bronx sports and Manhattan swim). We were able to achieve this because of you, so I wanted to share a couple of thank you's from our parents:

"We want to thank you for the wonderful swimming program... My son cannot walk, but for the first time I see him kicking his legs in the water as well as attempting to paddle with his right hand. He is equal in the water: no wheelchair, no braces or boundaries that set him apart from others. Harry's laughter can be heard clear across the pool."

“I wanted to thank you again for Saturday! The kids had so much fun. Daniela said it was the best day ever! Andrew was exhausted Saturday night from all the playing and laughing. I’m so glad there was space for both of them."

For us to continue our mission, we need your help again. Our birthday wish is to expand the swim program to include an addition 35 children. Any amount will get us that much closer to helping a KEEN athlete learn the joy of swimming.

From the athletes, the coaches and the parents- thank you for all you do for KEEN New York!

Links:

KEEN New York

Happy Holidays from KEEN New York

Nichole Cerimele — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:36:20 GMT

Dear KEEN New York Supporter,

2010 was a huge year for KEEN New York! We were able to expand our sports program in Manhattan, helping an additional 50 children within our three programs and added many amazing volunteers to our Coaches Committee, Board and Young Professionals Committee! As we continue to grow and look for new ways to better serve our athletes, we need your support. While you enjoy the holidays with your friends and family to celebrate the end of the year, please take a moment to remember the causes that are passionate to you. At KEEN New York, our goal is to create a place where children with special needs can have fun and feel welcomed. One parent said this about our program:

"Tracey* and I wanted to send you a quick thank you e-mail for having Mikey* be part of the swim program. The look of joy on his face being in the pool filled us with a happiness that cannot be put into words. Last week was truly the program we have been looking for. I am so happy that we have found KEEN..."

There are many ways to support our cause, especially with GlobalGiving. Send a tribute card to someone special when you make your donation a gift, give your friend a giftcard to Globalgiving, or simply post a link to our project on your Facebook/Twitter/blogs. In addition, check out our website for other ways you can help at www.KEENnewyork.org! On behalf of all the children who benefit from your generosity, thank you again!

KEEN New York

Links:

www.KEENnewyork.org

KEEN New York Expands 2010 Fall Program!

Nichole Cerimele — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:42:44 GMT

KEEN New York announced today that it is expanding its sports program to support an additional 50 children with special needs. Since its inaugural swim session in June 2009 , the New York chapter of KEEN has seen tremendous growth. The program will now serve a total of 160 children in the five boroughs with this expansion.

“The unique services that KEEN New York provides have become an integral part of the lives of many families in our area,” commented Nichole Cerimele, Executive Director. “We are extremely proud to be able to broaden our reach and are grateful to our volunteers who are critical to the continued success of our program.”

Children receive one-on-one attention, as every child is paired with an individual volunteer. The program is free for all families; a child will never be turned away due to any disabilities. Beginning in September, the Manhattan sports program will expand their program at the East 54th Street Parks and Recreation facility. The two hour program will continue to provide a respite time for the parents as well as a fun unstructured session for children to be social. We are able to do this because of you with your generous donation(s). Thank you!

On November 10th, 2010 KEEN New York will hold their third annual fall fundraiser at The Ainsworth in Manhattan. It will also be the kick-off of the Duck Dash, a campaign to raise $6,000 to expand the swim program for a year beginning January 2011.

KEEN is a national nonprofit organization that provides one-on-one recreational opportunities for children and young adults with mental and physical disabilities at no cost to their families and caregivers.

Links:

Our website

More Kids are Enjoying Exercise Now and GlobalGiving Photo Contest

Nichole Cerimele — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:46:26 GMT

KEEN New York athlete being creative at a session

KEEN New York wants to thank you! We have been able to accept more children and change more lives with your support. The special needs children we serve are challenged with such issues as obesity, depression and rising healthcare costs. The benefits of our programs allow these children much-needed exercise while strengthening their overall mental and physical well-being. Since your generous donations, our sessions are always at capacity with smiling faces due to the new art supplies, toys and pool time.

With the summer months approaching, the demand for our program is quickly growing due to the lack of programs for special needs children in New York City. With your help once again, we hope to provide more opportunities for new children, but this time we are not asking for money. A KEEN New York photo was chosen as one of the Top 10 photos in North America by Global Giving! All you have to do is:

1) Go to the GlobalGiving's Facebook page (link found below) and "Like It" 2) In the photo section find the album titled Photo Contest: North America 3) Find our picture of the little boy coloring on the bottom row and "like" it

If KEEN New York gets the most "likes" overall, we will win $1,000 to help more Kids Enjoy Exercise Now! Your vote will be an important part of KEEN New York’s programs by providing us with the chance to support more children and families who need us. Once again, thank you!

Links: