The Gold Coast Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) organization that has been dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts through education, exhibition, performance and outreach on Long Island for over 20 years, has announced that its widely successful “ARTreach” program is in danger of being cut back due to budget constraints. If this happens, hundreds of Long Island and New York students who currently benefit from the programming will be denied access to the services moving forward.
With this fact in mind, the Harvey and Gloria Kaylie Foundation has issued a challenge grant: If the center can raise $30,000 by June 15, the foundation will match it. That means that every dollar they raise will be worth two dollars to their cause.
The Kaylies are philanthropists who are committed to education and other causes that create a strong community and Mr. Kaylie was very impressed with the work that the Gold Coast Arts Center has done over the last 20 years in the areas of arts and education. This is the first challenge grant the Gold Coast Arts Center has ever received.
The impact the Gold Coast Arts Center has made on the lives of tens of thousands of students through their outreach program of arts workshops and programs is immeasurable. Through their ART-REACH program, students who normally would not be able to afford such things receive training in art, music, dance, ceramics, chess, fencing and other art forms – all in the comfortof their own schools.
Most of these students would not have access to these programs because funding has already been cut in so many of the schools throughout the region. The reason the Gold Coast Arts Center is able to provide these programs to the schools is because they have sought out grants from sources that support this kind of work. Unfortunately, many of those granting bodies have also cut their funding and they are now facing the prospect of cutting these programs by the year 2015 if they don’t raise sufficient funds to pay for the teachers and materials.
“We are very grateful to the Kaylies for their encouragement and investment in our work and ask the larger community to help us meet the challenge and give in any way that they can;” said Regina Gil, executive director of the Gold Coast Arts Center, “we have received donations, both small and large, and all are welcome; bearing in mind that we hope to raise MORE than the challenge grant funds and demonstrate to Mr. Kaylie and future funders that people DO care about the future of the arts and education in the lives of their children and grandchildren”.
Contributions can be made by calling 516 829-2570 and paying by credit card; writing a check to “Gold Coast Arts Center, 113 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck, NY 11021 attn: Challenge grant; or by logging onto their website atwww.goldcoastarts.org/support or clicking on “Support the Arts” when they get to the website.
