There are events…and then there are EVENTS. This year’s SGHY Spring Benefit was the latter.
For the second year, the Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth, Inc. benefit brought community-minded Villagers, physical education advocates and local politicians to an “All-Star” award ceremony that recognized New Yorkers who work tirelessly making this city a better place to live.
Honors this year went to Steve Ashkinazy, an early pioneer in the L.G.B.T. rights movement; Pastor Pedro A. Cardo Jr., a labor movement worker and vice president of Teamsters Local 210; Michael Fortenbaugh, founder of the Manhattan Yacht Club; Virginia Kee, a community leader in Manhattan’s Chinatown community and, for more than three decades, a junior high school teacher; and Harry Malakoff, the founder and commissioner of the Malakoff Girls Basketball League at Greenwich House. Tequila Minsky, The Villager, May 28, 2015
The purpose of this event was to raise funds to send 50 plus public middle school students on a memorable summer adventure. At the National Dance Institute four students attended an intensive professional dance workshop for four weeks. At Knox Camp students from the Bronx and the Lower East Side had the opportunity for intensive basketball and life-skills training from Ty Grant and TeamFirst. At Manhattan Youth students experienced their first outdoor camping trip. At Julian Krinsky Summer Tennis Sleep-Away Camp, on a college campus, students learned the fine points of tennis competition. At New York City Center for Space Science Education (NYCCSSE) hands on science education takes center stage.
With more than 175 guests and patrons, SGHY’s goal was met…and then some. But, there was no denying that Walt Frazier‘s presence and full participation, all evening, was the piece that gave the SGHY teams great spirit.
Let’s go to the tape…
Ty Grant, Corey Johnson, Mr. Boxer and Dr. Leonard Golubchick join SGHY Middle School students at Walt Frazer's restaurant.
