Overview of Annual Fundraisers:
2008 and 2009: To benefit the SOS Children’s Villages in Greece & Smile Train
- Donated $21,800 over the two years
- Created books with thoughtful messages for the orphans and personally delivered these books to them.
- Held a small fundraiser to benefit Smile Train; granted a life-changing cleft lip surgery to one child.
2010: In honor of Sophia Tavolacci and to benefit the Be the Match Foundation SM
- Donated $20,000 to NYC’s Cornell Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility specifically earmarked for mothers undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization) along with PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) treatments in hopes of achieving a bone marrow or stem cell match to save the lives of their sick children.
- Successfully held a bone marrow drive where we registered 11 potential donors; donated $5,000 to Be the Match Foundation via the Icla da Silva Foundation to register 50 new donors.
2011: To benefit children with Autism and Special Needs
- Created a Special Education Sunday School Program at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church in Astoria, where we currently have 9 special needs children enrolled. Through raising awareness of the Special Needs Program, the attendance of the regular education program more than doubled.
- Donated 60 Apple iPads to educational institutions that have Technology Assisted Programs for children with Autism and Special Needs; They went to QSAC- Quality Services for the Autism Community, NSSA- Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism, The Alpine Learning Group in NJ, PS 76 William Hallet School in LIC, the St. Paul’s Pioneers, Sunday School program in Hempstead, NY and to children of our Sunday School program.
- Donations Raised: $60,000
2012: To benefit children with Autism and Special Needs
- To further cultivate the Special Needs Sunday School Program at St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox School with the intention of expanding the scope to include other parishes in the Metro area.
- To support and promote healing activities for children with Autism and Special Needs including, but not limited to, art, music and yoga therapy, movement classes, and other fun, skill-building exercises that will empower children while encouraging socialization and building confidence. We also aim to provide tools and educational programs for the parents, including nutrition, holistic and alternative treatments that they can use parallel to their medical treatments. Our vision includes funding programs at special needs activity centers where such healing activities can be provided alongside speech, physical, occupational and sensory therapies.
Total Donation money distributed since 2008: $106,800