The Arc Westchester Foundation hosted its annual golf outing on Sept. 16 with more than 110 golfers teeing up and another 70 supporters joining for dinner at Knollwood Country Club.
This year’s event raised more than $235,000 for the Children’s School for Early Development, one of the largest providers of community-based specialized services for young children with developmental disabilities in Westchester County. The school provides educational, social, and support services for children up to 5 years old, and their families.
“This was one of our most successful golf outings to date,” said Barry Clark, executive director of The Arc Westchester Foundation. “We were overwhelmed by the generosity of those in attendance. Their support will go a long way to helping the school provide much needed supports at a time when we are feeling a significant gap left by reduced federal and state funding, and ensures the continuation of high-quality early intervention and preschool services.”
This year’s honoree was the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and Newsletter Committee of the Children’s School, recognized for their outstanding support and dedication to the students.
“Statistics show that early childhood intervention is critical to ensuring that children can thrive later in life and yet, government funding remains inadequate,” said Tibi Guzmán, Arc Westchester CEO. “If it weren’t for our donors and this outing, I don’t believe we could operate this school, which provides critical support for families across Westchester. Despite these challenges, our commitment to early childhood education remains unwavering,”
For the second year the event also featured a collaboration with the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA), which once again ran an adaptive golf clinic on the driving range at Knollwood Country Club during the event. The clinic featured teaching professional Ryan Kayton, who provided lessons on the fundamentals of golf to several young adults supported by The Arc Westchester. Both organizations are excited to continue to this partnership.
Impact of funds raised from the golf outing include:
- Professional development workshops for teachers and staff enhancing service quality;
- Investments in technology and access to online learning materials and activities to enhance instruction;
- Class trips to integrate community learning and enrich the educational experience;
- And furniture, therapeutic and art supplies, and toys for all classrooms.