Success and Opportunity

A Year of Dedication, Collaboration, and Expansion  …And a chance to double your contribution In fiscal 2022 SGHY expanded services by 150%, increasing the number of school partnerships from two to five as well as greatly expanding the curriculums we can offer.  Thanks to generous contributions from our individual, corporate, and union supporters we have, so far, been able to provide a wide variety of programs in 1,180 sessions in fiscal 2023(Fall 2022); but there… Continue reading

Thank You for Summer Camp 2022

You Made It Happen! Six days of summer camp can be a big deal for any kid. For children whose families can’t afford activities like camps or vacation, experiencing a week full of firsts can be life-changing: swimming in a lake, holding a frog, or seeing a nighttime sky filled with stars. Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth (SGHY) coordinates and funds two yearly summer camps – Camp Zeke sleepaway the Kids of Summer day camp. This… Continue reading

National Dance Institute Summer Recital

National Dance Institute Scholars - a summer event

This year’s National Dance Institute Summer recital was even more amazing than the last. There are spring after-school classes for our students at MS302 in the Bronx and then this very special National Dance Institute Summer Recital at Jacques D’Amboise’ famed institution.  SGHY offers a scholarship to two deserving students for an intensive month of dance training every year.  This year’s scholars were Jayda McCoy and Jett Torres. Each piece in this year’s recital was new… Continue reading

February 25th Benefit

NYJTL and Team First open ceremonies at SGHY2016 Fund Raiser

  Thursday, February 25th Benefit at 6:00 PM 102 Prince St., 5th Floor Our dear friend Henry Buhl again provided his magnificent art-filled loft for our February 25th Benefit event.  The proceeds support Spring and Summer Programs .  Shown above:  Jessica Kruskamp, Chief Education Officer, New York Junior Tennis & Learning with Ty Grant, Founder, Team First welcoming guests. Photo: Zella Jones.   Honorary Co-Chairs: Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz HONORING 2016 YOUTH… Continue reading

Spring Benefit Delivers on Summer Camp

This Year’s Spring Benefit Tops Its Goal  A trendy restaurant lounge on the far West Side in the 30s actually sports a mini-basketball court. When it’s Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s place — Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine — that’s what you get, and it was an appropriate venue for the 2015 spring benefit for Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth….Tequila Minsky, The Villager, May 28th, 2015 Honored at the event were Walt Frazier; Steve Ashkinazy – an L.G.B.T.rights pioneer; Pastor… Continue reading

Sophie’s Stars at the 2015 Playoff

It was a very exciting day for Sophie’s Stars at the Greenwich House/Malakoff Girls Basketball League Playoff.   Though they didn’t win the playoff on Saturday, March 14th, everybody recognized their powerful back court skills and shining team spirit, right down to the purple and yellow face paint! And the award luncheon, where everybody is a winner, was a pretty impressive event, too. The team:  Top Row from left to right: Coach Ashley Contreras, Annie… Continue reading

SGHY Spring Benefit Date Set

The SGHY Spring Benefit will be held on Tuesday, May 12th, 2015, at Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine, 485 Tenth Avenue, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. This year’s awardees include basketball legend Walt Clyde Frazier; Steve Ashkinazy, Former CB#2 Manhattan Youth Committee Chair and long-time advocate for LGBT youth; Pedro Cardi, founder of the Latino College Scholarship Fund and International Brotherhood of Teamsters advocate; Michael Fortenbaugh, Commodore of the Manhattan Yacht Club and Sailing School (which teaches young people sailing skills every… Continue reading

National Dance Institute and Bronx MS 302 Students

Middle School students from MS 302 – The Luisa Dessus Cruz School rehearsed for 12 weeks with National Dance Institute instructors Bianca Johnson, Dufftin Garcia and Jerry Korman toward an inspiring recital on Feb. 11th. Each week MS 302 teacher, Barbara Palmer, brought 14 aspiring dancers to NDI’s studios at 217 West 147 St. from the South Bronx for the opportunity. Continue reading

Girls Basketball: Sophie’s Stars…The Real Deal

In Girls Basketball, Sophie’s Stars are the real deal We had the chance to watch 11 young women, ages 10 to 12 play some serious basketball on January 17.  They are Sophie’s Stars for the 2015 season and come from all five Boroughs of New York to play in the Greenwich House/Malakoff Girls Basketball League.  Their coaches Ashley Contreras and Dana Brown are justifiably proud of them, as you can see from our slideshow. [cincopa… Continue reading

SGHY Will Include Space Science Education

This year SGHY will include Space Science Education for classes in MS 302 and MS 126 to attend the New York City Center for Space Science Education (NYCCSSE) a science-rich educational experience operated by the Department of Education.  Our students will utilize a NASA Aerospace Laboratory and Mission Control and Space Shuttle simulators as well as a robotics Lab NYCCSSE provides students with hands-on science learning. Under the brilliant leadership of its Director, Katherine Brown and its… Continue reading

Tennis and Basketball Day-Camp in Riverside Park

Kids of Summer Day Camp

Sixteen of our Bronx students this summer were enrolled at Tennis and Basketball Day-Camp in Riverside Park where they had intense basketball or tennis instruction, on the Hudson.  The Kids of Summer, one of the City’s top-quality day camps in connection with the Riverside Park Conservancy provided the instruction and facilities, and also generously discounted the cost.  SGHY arranged for transportation and remaining tuition.  Our kids came away with new skills, new confidence, new friends… Continue reading

Basketball Sleepaway Camp with Team First at Knox Boarding School

Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth - Ty Grant

 SGHY sponsored eight campers, four from each of our schools (MS 302 and MS 126), for a basketball sleepaway camp.  Retired NBA and St. Johns basketball star Tyrone Grant and his Team First coaches provided intense basketball training.  In addition, our inner-city kids —  many for the first time – experienced boating, swimming, and interacted with nature at Knox Boarding School on Long Island’s North Shore, as well as making a bunch of new friends.… Continue reading

Summer at Julian Krinsky Tennis Camp

Julian Krinsky Tennis Camp-Lunch

For the past two years SGHY has allowed two students from each school (MS 302 and MS 126) to attend a one-week session at the Julian Krinsky Tennis Camp, one of the nation’s premier tennis programs for young people.  The Krinsky organization generously accommodated two campers for the tuition of one.  In addition to new tennis skills, new friends, and lots of fun, these middle-school campers also derive inspiration from living on the Haverford College… Continue reading

Outdoor Adventures

Outdoor Adventures This Year Included Sleep-Away Camp with Manhattan Youth and the Appalachian Mountain Club. For most of our students the wilderness consists of a schoolyard or city park.  Sophie Gerson believed that all city kids need to fully experience nature and the great outdoors. SGHY arranged for two boys and two girls to join with Manhattan Youth, one of our city’s top quality youth service providers, for some real outdoor adventures.  For a week,… Continue reading

Sophie Gerson Tennis Cup

  The First Annual Sophie Gerson Cup between MS 302 from The Bronx and MS 126 from the Lower East Side/Chinatown in Manhattan – unbelievable ! This years tennis training culminated in a tennis tournament at Columbia University’s Dick Savitt Tennis Center at Baker’s Field. At the first annual Sophie Gerson Tennis Cup, our middle school tennis players were thrilled to play on the home courts of Columbia’s Ivy League Champion Men’s and Women’s Tennis… Continue reading

After School Tennis at MS 126

  After school tennis at MS 126 played at the East River Tennis Courts. Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth (SGHY) brought New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL),  their coaches and full program to the South Bronx and to Lower East Side this year. Working with teachers, NYJTL conducted an after school tennis program during the Spring semester. The program gave the students tennis rackets and three days a week of instruction with professional tennis players. The… Continue reading

After School Tennis at MS 302

after school tennis_ms302

  The After school tennis program for MS 302, uses the new Bronx Crotona Park Tennis Center Sophie always said, “Tennis is my racket.”  SGHY brought New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL),  the NYJTL coaches and their program to the South Bronx as well as the Lower East Side, this year. Working with these Middle School’s teachers, NYJTL conducted after school tennis programs during the Spring semester. What did the students have to say?… Continue reading

Summer Dance Institute

Partners - National-Dance-Institute

  The Irene Diamond Summer Dance Institute at the Renown National Dance Institute Is a Great Success.   For the past two summers SGHY has provided stipends to enable two students to attend NDI’s summer institute. This year SGHY will also sponsor after-school dance programs by NDI for MS 302 and MS 126 students. Here’s what our students have to say about it:  You learn a lot about jazz, ballet, tap and music that definitely… Continue reading

Sophie’s Stars Join Girls Basketball League

Sophie’s Stars Win  The Greenwich House Malakoff Girls Basketball League Championship SGHY provided an opportunity for more girls to play basketball by reviving the Sophie’s Stars team.  Sophie’s Stars won the league championship!  But, as Sophie would say, all girls won just by participating. “Sophie was one of the very first sponsors of the Greenwich Village Girls Basketball League twenty years ago, recalls Harry Malakoff, Commissioner and founder of the League. “She was, and her foundation… Continue reading

Girls Volley Ball at MS 302 in the Bronx.

Girls Volley Ball- MS302

If it’s Saturday, its girls volley ball at MS 302 in the Bronx. SGHY funding opened the school’s gym for the girls volleyball team to practice and play – and enjoy comraderie in a safe place with teacher supervision.  No wonder the MS 302 team won their division’s championship. This year SGHY will sponsor Summer Volley Ball for the students of MS 302. And here’s what the students had to say: Thank you for helping… Continue reading