Community Chest of Port Washington Awards $4,000 Grant to Be The Best Sport!
Be The Best Sport Awarded Grant From
The Community Chest of Port Washington for $4,000
July 8, 2014
Port Washington, NY. (July 8, 2014)- Be The Best Sport, an adaptive sports program for children with special needs, is pleased to announce it has received a $4,000 grant from The Community Chest of Port Washington. Funds will support the organization’s multi-sport program for ages 3-7. Through Multi-Sport activities, children are introduced to baseball, basketball, football, and soccer, and participate in drills and exercises that enhance basic athletic skills. The multi-sport program also gives children the opportunity to express themselves and communicate with others while practicing social skills, attentiveness, and fine motor skills.
The grant from the Community Chest of Port Washington will provide additional program support and help to fulfill increased demand from local Port Washington families seeking to enroll their children in the program. Funds will help to hire more instructors while maintaining the coach:student ratio at an acceptable level of 1:3 and a volunteer-student ratio of 1:1. Additional tuition support is provided by the North Shore Autism Circle in order to reduce program fees from $30 per session to $15 per session.
Michael Furino, a Port Washington native for over 20 years and Executive Director of Be The Best Sport stated that: “This grant is instrumental to our program and will provide the additional funding needed in order to help fulfill the increased demand for our multi-sport program. We are excited to have the help of The Community Chest of Port Washington so that we can continue to help provide needed services to our local community.”
The Community Chest of Port Washington awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. For 2015, the Community Chest of Port Washington awarded 27 grants to charities whose local programs affect approximately one in three Port Washington residents.
Community Chest Executive Director, Julie Meer Harnick is thrilled to be able to help Be the Best Sport. “Michael told us that he was ready to expand his offerings to meet the growing need but didn’t have quite enough money to pay for additional expenses.” She added, “our donors are honored to be able to support fellow Port Washington neighbors who need a little help.”
Be The Best Sport is a 501(c)(3) adaptive sports program for children who have intellectual disabilities as well as physical impairments. Be The Best Sport offers a variety of sports and recreation programs that focus on exposing children to the world of athletics and helps to develop and strengthen their motor, cognitive, and social abilities. Athletes have the opportunity to learn the basics of each sport, through a hands-on multi-sensory approach. The program helps facilitate the building of skills, confidence, self-esteem, and sportsmanship, while meeting the needs of each individual. Be The Best Sport’s motto is to “Have FUN, make FRIENDS and always leave with a SMILE,” and is what motivates the organization each week to provide a great experience that the athletes will remember for a lifetime. For more information, please visit Be The Best Sport’s website at https://bethebestsport.org/ or e-mail them at: [email protected]
