MADISON MATTERSSaving and Enhancing the ives of New York City Kids Since 1884. FALL/WINTER 2019-2020

WHAT’SINSIDE!

• Our Pinkerton Clubhouse is now open!

• Take a look at The Elbaum Family Clubhouse in Brownsville.

• Relive the magic of Club Fun.

• Mark your calendars for our upcoming events!

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Madison Square Boys & Girls Club is proud to announce that the Pinkerton Clubhouse is now open for after-school and summer programming. It’s been a long, but extremely worthwhile journey to get to this point. From the groundbreaking ceremony in May 2017 to the ribbon-cutting ceremony in June 2019, Madison’s largest Clubhouse is on its way to becoming a beacon in the Bradhurst community of Harlem.

While we remain energized by our new presence in Harlem, our most recent adventure in Brownsville is another example of our commitment to under-resourced communities in New York City. In September, we opened the doors to the Elbaum Family Clubhouse with thanks to former resident of Brownsville & Madison Board Member, Steve Elbaum, as well as his wife, sister, & brother-in-law. This Club will provide much needed after-school programming and supportive adult mentors to teens in the Brownsville community. We are confident that our presence will make a difference.

With the start of the new fiscal year comes an exciting new Special Events calendar. Please be sure to check out our Save the Date section on the back of the newsletter to find out more information and review our upcoming special events.

As always, we owe tremendous thanks to our community of supporters and friends who contribute to our growth and make all of these milestones possible. Because of our continued work together, supporting the families who need us most, we are able to open our doors to new ones. Together, we can help our members believe that they are capable of anything and that they can dream without fear of failure. We are thankful to everyone, especially you, who supports our mission to make a difference in the lives of the more than 5,000 youth we currently serve.

Warmest Regards,

Tim McChristian

Madison Square Boys & Girls Club: Since 1884, Madison has been saving and enhancing the lives of youth by providing after-school and summer programs for children in New York City’s most under-resourced communities. Programs are engineered to empower each member to achieve three priority outcomes: Academic Success, Good Character & Citizenship, and the adoption of a Healthy Lifestyle. Every day, Madison provides thousands of children with a safe and positive environment, one where fun is encouraged and positive role models are plentiful. A founding member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Madison currently serves more than 5,000 youth, ages 6 to 18, at six Clubhouses in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Harlem.

www.madisonsquare.org

Administrative Offices 250 Bradhurst AvenueNew York, New York 10039Phone: 212.760.9600

Executive Director: Tim McChristian

Co-Chairmen of the Board: Victor F. Ganzi & Michael S. Geltzeiler

Co-Presidents: Don Devine & Richard Eaddy

Please contact Gabby Schiraldi with any comments or questions.Email: gschiraldi@madisonsquare.orgPhone: 212.760.9600 x0485

Photo Credits: Christopher Vernale, Jennifer Gonzeles, Shay Epps, Creative Art Works

LETTER FROM TIM

From the Desk of Executive Director

Tim McChristian

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MADISON'SNEW HOMES

We're now in Brownsville!

On Thursday, September 26th, Madison Square Boys & Girls Club cut the ribbon on our newest location, the Elbaum Family Clubhouse. The Clubhouse is located within the site of two high schools, Frederick Douglass Academy VII and Teachers Preparatory Academy at 226 Bristol Street in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. The Elbaum family was integral in bringing this Clubhouse to life. While Steven Elbaum is new to Madison’s Board of Trustees, he is no stranger to the Boys & Girls Club family, as he is also a Trustee of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. A native of the Brownsville community, Steven and his family recognized the immense need for an after-school program there. The Elbaum Family Clubhouse aims to bridge this gap by providing a safe space for Brownsville teens.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was a special one, as remarks were made by former Youth of the Year, Anastasia from our Thomas S. Murphy Clubhouse, Executive Director Tim McChristian, Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, the Elbaum family and the Principals of both Frederick Douglass Academy VII and Teachers Preparatory Academy, Ms. Tamika Matheson and Ms. Carmen Simon. Duane Kinnon, who has served as a project consultant, acted as Emcee of the event and surprised the crowd with a wonderful cake celebrating the partnership, baked in the likeness of the building. After the ceremony, future members of the Elbaum Family Clubhouse were invited to help cut the ribbon.

We are thrilled to welcome teens, ages 13-18, to this new safe space where programming will take place from 3-7 P.M. Teens will benefit from programs focusing on college preparedness, financial literacy, and more!

To learn more, visit www.madisonsquare.org/enroll

MADISON'SNEW HOMES

After years of planning, Thursday, June 6th proved to be a momentous Madison occasion: the ribbon-cutting of our new Pinkerton Clubhouse at 250 Bradhurst Avenue in Harlem. The Clubhouse is named in honor of The Pinkerton Foundation, whose generous endowment supports a wide-range of programming at the Clubhouse. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included remarks from Madison leadership, The Pinkerton Foundation President Rick Smith, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Assemblyman Al Taylor and Lauren Bush Lauren, granddaughter of the project's Honorary Co-Chair, President George H.W. Bush. Vy Higginsen’s Sing Harlem Choir also performed.

The Pinkerton Clubhouse was designed with modern educational spaces, recreational facilities including a soccer field and basketball court, and innovative visual and performing arts spaces encompassing a full breadth of program areas for our members.

Madison Square Boys & Girls Club’s expansion into Harlem represents an exciting opportunity to help empower the area’s young people and create a safe and healthy environment for them to learn and grow. The Pinkerton Clubhouse officially opened to members on July 1st for Club Fun summer programming.

This summer Madison served teens from the Polo Grounds Housing Complex as a part of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), a contract awarded from New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development. As a part of this initiative, Creative Art Works partnered with Madison and worked with a group of 15 SYEP teens to create a mural (pictured left) that would be meaningful to the Clubhouse and its members. The finished product sits across from the rooftop sports field and depicts the history of Harlem and the neighboring Polo Grounds. The teens were proud of accomplishing something that many of them had never dreamed possible.

This is only the beginning of great things to come from our Pinkerton Clubhouse!

Our New Pinkerton Clubhouse in Harlem is now open!

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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

SNF Field at thePinkerton Clubhouse

Atop Madison's biggest Clubhouse sits the SNF (Stavros Niarchos Foundation) Field. Bright and expansive, the soccer field provides a safe space for our members to play in the sunshine in an inspirational and nurturing environment. This incredible resource is already attracting youth from the community, especially teens, looking for the perfect space to express themselves through sports.

This past September, Madison Square Boys & Girls Club and Stavros Niarchos Foundation held a special “Soccer Under the Stars” event to encourage our teens to pursue healthy lifestyles and activities. This fun night also served as a celebration of this incredible partnership with SNF.

The excitement at our Pinkerton Clubhouse isn't just on the roof! We're excited to share that programming is in full swing and happening around the Clubhouse everyday and, in addition to our younger members, our Harlem Clubhouse

has seen exceptional attendance by the community's teens. Teens have access to caring mentors, exciting dedicated study and lounge spaces, help with homework plus college and career planning. Of course, one of our most popular teen hangout spots is our basketball court, as healthy lifestyles never end!

Summer Roundup

It's All in the Name:Columbus Becomes John E. Grimm III Clubhouse

It’s officially fall which means Club Fun, Madison's summer programing, is over for another year! The program is designed to prevent summer learning loss. Summer members are not only engaged academically but also in multiple forms of physical activity. Throughout the summer, members took trips throughout NYC, including watching the New York Yankees (pictured left). Members also participated in service activities where they gave back to the community and the Clubhouse, including initiatives like an Anti-Bullying march and projects combating child starvation.

Other Clubhouse events included a member art show, World Fair Day where groups created a poster on a country they researched and educated other members. Participants in the SMART Girls Program created a Big Sister, Little Sister Mentorship Program which allowed the girls to learn more about each other and assist in the growth of their peers.

One of our favorite moments from this summer was when Madison's Clubhouses held their 2nd Annual 5K Walks. Club Fun members of all ages

participated and were encouraged by staff members to keep moving and to have fun! Throughout the walk, members did quick exercises, including pushups and squats, in order to “feel the burn” and keep moving. Members made encouraging signs to carry around during the walk with sayings such as “You got this!”, “Never give up!” and “We are Powerful”.

Each Clubhouse had a special guest as their ‘Race Marshall’ to lead the Club in the walk and say a few words on the importance of staying active to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Race Marshalls included Richard Williams from Council Member Al Taylor’s office; John Starks from the New York Knicks; Troy P. O’Dend’Hal, DYCD Coordinator; and Javier Seda, Junior Academy Coordinator. Madison Square Boys & Girls Club staff, members, and special guests all contributed to an inspiring event for the second year in a row. What a summer!

This past July, Madison’s Columbus Clubhouse kicked off Club Fun with a new name: John "Jack" E. Grimm III Clubhouse! The Clubhouse is named in honor of the late John E. Grimm III, who served as an integral part of the organization’s leadership and governance for 57 years. Mr. Grimm joined the Board of Trustees at Madison in 1956 and throughout his tenure, served as President of the Board, both Chairman and Vice-Chairman, and also served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee. Of his time with Madison, Mr. Grimm always said “Many of you ask why I have stuck around for all these years but it is so easy to answer. For me,

Madison is like a second family made up of fellow Board Members, staff and the children we serve.”

That second family came out in full force to support his loving wife Ann Grimm at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Many of John’s and Ann's friends and fellow Board Members were in attendance, along with staff and members of the John E. Grimm III Clubhouse. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included remarks from longtime friends, Thomas S. Murphy, Sr. and Myles D. Gillespie. After the touching ceremony, Clubhouse members were invited to help Ann cut the ribbon. A momentous Madison moment indeed!

Website: www.madisonsquare.orgInstagram: @MadisonBGClubTwitter: @MadisonBGClubFacebook: www.facebook.com/MadisonBGClubYouTube: www.youtube.com/c/MadisonBGClub

www.madisonsquare.org The mission of Madison Square Boys & Girls Club is to save and enhance the lives of New York City boys and girls who by means of economic and/or social factors are most in need of its services.

250 Bradhurst Avenue New York, New York 10039

Save the Date!

53rd Annual Christmas Tree Ball..............................December 6, 2019

Style of ife uncheon...................................................April 28, 2020

8th Annual Youth of the Year Dinner..............................May 20, 2020

A Night at Yankee Stadium............................................ Summer 2020

26th Annual Fore the Kids Golf Tournament...................July 27, 2020

54th Annual Christmas Tree Ball............................. December 4, 2020

Contact Gabby Schiraldi at gschiraldi@madisonsquare.org or 212.760.0485 to learn more!