Every year the Munsey Park Women’s Club (MPWC) reaches out to the community to search for philanthropic opportunities. They ask residents of Manhasset to apply for a grant that will help support a cause that benefits the residents of Munsey Park and/or Manhasset. The grants are then reviewed and one or two are chosen by the MPWC board. Valerie Siener, the cochair of philanthropic steering with the MPWC, leads the outreach effort and advocates for funding for small organizations.
The MPWC strives to diversify giving and utilize local resources. One of the groups that the MPWC has chosen to support is a sports enrichment program for children with special needs. So many local children go to Unlimited Sports Action (USA) in Port Washington for all sorts of sporting lessons, clinics and activities. Be the Best Sport is a nonprofit arm of USA. Be the Best Sport advocates, develops, creates and builds specialized hands-on adaptive sports programs for children ages 18 and younger with developmental disabilities as well as physical impairments. There is a lack of such organizations in the area that are dedicated to providing support for youngsters with special needs. Be the Best Sport accepts donations so that they can keep the cost down for participation in the classes, buy specialized multi-sensory equipment and provide trained staff and coaches.
The executive director of Be the Best Sport, Michael Furino, explained, “We are so excited to receive generous funding from the Munsey Park Women’s Club for new equipment for our special needs sports program. It is because of organizations like the MPWC that allows Be The Best Sport to provide sports enrichment services to children and adults with special needs at a low cost. Funding like this enables our organization to grow and continue to offer special needs sports services to children and adults of all different ages and ability levels.”
“On behalf of the MPWC Philanthropic committee, we are happy and proud to support Be The Best Sport with a donation towards their continuing effort to offer opportunities for special needs children, so they may develop and strengthen their self-esteem, confidence and sportsmanship. We also applaud Michael Furino for reaching out to this underserved population,” says Siener.
The MPWC hopes to continue to assist groups like these and thanks the Manhasset community residents and MPWC members for support.
—Submitted by Munsey Park Women’s Club
