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Programs
December 2008
NBC Hosts Reception to Welcome Michael A. Corriero
Over 150 BBBS of NYC friends and supporters gathered in the NBC Executive
Dining Room on November 19th to welcome the agency’s new Executive
Director Judge Michael A. Corriero. The event was organized by BBBS of
NYC Board Member Anna Carbonell, vice president of Press and Public
Affairs for NBC4 and Telemundo 47. It served as an opportunity for the BBBS
of NYC community to meet Judge Corriero, and hear about his plans to lead
the organization in the coming years. Click here to read more.
Drawing Workshop Brings Out the Superheroes
in Littles and Bigs
The BBBS of NYC 2008 annual report will feature the theme, “Everyone
Needs A Hero.” To generate illustrations for the report, the agency organized a
Superhero Drawing Workshop for Littles and their Bigs. To teach the workshop,
BBBS of NYC recruited Phil Jimenez, a pre-eminent drawing instructor from
the School of Visual Art (SVA) in New York City, and a noted artist/cartoonist
for Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Sony, among others. The workshop, held
on a rainy Saturday this Fall at BBBS of NYC’s headquarters, drew close to 35
matches who were eager to learn about the art of cartoon illustration and how
to draw superheroes. Find our more
Gridiron Games Score Big for BBBS of NYC
On Saturday, November 22, BBBS of NYC took over Giants
Stadium for the 14th annual Gridiron Games, an exciting
two-pronged event for youth and adults alike. Special thanks
to BBBS of NYC Trustee Jared Landaw, along with Volunteers
James Rapp and Jay Kline, who co-chaired this year’s event,
which helped to raise over $175,000 to support the agency’s
programs for the city’s youth-in-need. More about the Games.
Race For The Kids Raises Spirits
and Over Half a Million Dollars
More than 3,000 youth and adults participated in this year’s fourth
Annual Race for the Kids sponsored by RBC — part of Nickelodeon’s
Worldwide Day of Play. The 4K Run/Walk and Picnic helped to raise
more than $560,000. In addition to raising awareness of the
importance of mentoring in the lives of the city’s underprivileged
youth, the event focused on the importance of exercise, health and
play. Click here to learn more about this great event.
Match story (Malik and Anthony)
Anthony and Malik feel like brothers, even though they are not related. They
have so much in common and their bond is so strong after only one year of
being matched, that they are confident they will be brothers forever. Anthony
is a bi-racial 24-year old who, himself, was a Little Brother from the ages of six
through twelve in a BBBS program back in Columbus, OH where he grew up.
Read more about their match.
Save these Dates!
Take a look at these exciting upcoming events, mark your calendar
and click here for more details and contact information.
• 12th Annual “Teen Holiday Jam” — Saturday, December 13th
• Recruitment team at NYC Boat Show — Saturday through the following Sunday, December 13th-21st
• Blank Canvas project — Saturday, December 20th from 12-2pm
• Ping Pong Tournament, Grand Central Terminal — Monday, January 26th
• Film Screening: “Say it Loud” about truancy prevention — Saturday, February 7th
• YPC “Big Night Out” — Saturday, February 21st
The BIG Picture
NBC Hosts Reception to Welcome
Michael A. Corriero
Over 150 BBBS of NYC friends and supporters
gathered in the NBC Executive Dining Room on
November 19th to welcome the agency’s new
Executive Director Judge Michael A. Corriero.
The event was organized by BBBS of NYC Board
Member Anna Carbonell, vice president of Press
and Public Affairs for NBC4 and Telemundo 47.
It served as an opportunity for the BBBS of NYC
community to meet Judge Corriero, and hear
about his plans to lead the organization in the
coming years.
Kitty Linder introduces
Michael Corriero
WNBC-TV’s Vice President for News and
Content, Vickie Burns, welcomed the attendees
and made a champagne toast in honor of Judge
Corriero.
BBBS of NYC Board Trustee,
Jim Rosenfeld and News Channel
4 meteorologist Janice Huff at the
welcoming event
BBBS of NYC’s President and Trustee, Kitty
Linder, introduced Corriero by reading excerpts
from a letter from Judge Judith Kaye, the Chief
Judge of New York State, praising his work as a
judge in the state’s juvenile court system and his
commitment to children, giving them a second
chance to change their lives.
Michael Corriero then spoke very candidly about his background in juvenile
justice and how his career as a judge working with youth helped form his decision to take on this new role to head up BBBS of NYC. He focused on the need
for more mentors, and the importance of continued
financial support during these challenging financial
times. Michael Corriero inspired all in attendance
when he noted that keeping a disadvantaged youth
off the street and changing his/her life through
mentoring can ultimately change the world.
The evening was capped off with a moving presentation delivered by a match, Big Brother Anthony
and Little Brother Malik, who described the positive
effect of their relationship on both of their lives. To
read more about this compelling match, see the
separate profile piece in this newsletter.
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Michael Corriero (right) with
Anthony (left) and his Little Malik.
Drawing Workshop Brings Out the Superheroes in
Littles and Bigs
The BBBS of NYC 2008 annual report
will feature the theme, “Everyone Needs
A Hero.” To generate illustrations for the
report, the agency organized a Superhero Drawing Workshop for Littles and
their Bigs. To teach the workshop, BBBS
of NYC recruited Phil Jimenez, a pre-eminent drawing instructor from the School
of Visual Art (SVA) in New York City, and
a noted artist/cartoonist for Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Sony, among others.
The workshop, held on a rainy Saturday
this Fall at BBBS of NYC’s headquarters,
drew close to 35 matches who were
eager to learn about the art of cartoon
illustration and how to draw superheroes.
BBBS of NYC Executive Director Michael
A. Corriero greeted all who attended,
and then Jimenez conducted a brief
seminar with drawing tips and ideas for
the creation of a hero, including how to
design a costume and a symbol based
on the hero’s attributes. Littles then got to
work creating their drawings of their Bigs
seen as superheroes. Simultaneously,
many Bigs illustrated their own Littles
as heroes. Both Bigs and Littles each
enjoyed seeing themselves depicted as
a superhero!
While all participants enjoyed the experience of learning about how to draw
from a professional, several Littles in particular appreciated the opportunity to
learn more about illustration as a career path. Mr. Jimenez, along with several
of his art students from SVA, who also attended the workshop as assistants,
spent additional time talking to interested Littles about art school and careers in
illustration. Everyone left the workshop encouraged to know that his or her love
of drawing could in fact be parlayed into a career.
Many of the drawings created at the workshop will be highlighted in the agency’s 2008 annual report. Supplies for the workshop were donated by FaberCastell USA (GRIP colored pencils), Newell Rubbermaid’s Sharpie (permanent
markers) and Ancraft Press (drawing paper).
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Gridiron Games Score Big
for BBBS of NYC
On Saturday, November 22, BBBS of NYC took
over Giants Stadium for the 14th annual Gridiron Games, an exciting two-pronged event for
youth and adults alike. Special thanks to BBBS
of NYC Trustee Jared Landaw, along with
Volunteers James Rapp and Jay Kline, who cochaired this year’s event, which helped to raise
over $175,000 to support the agency’s programs for the city’s youth-in-need.
The morning event provided the opportunity for over 100 Littles and their Bigs to
participate in child-friendly drills, instruction and football games on the stadium field.
The afternoon featured a rare non-courtroom show-down between top New York City
law firms.
The morning’s activites were kicked off by
Boulevard Magazine’s best new artist for 2008,
Angela Severiano, who sang the national
anthem, followed by an appearance by several
NY Giants cheerleaders, who conducted warmups prior to the drills. The games were followed
by a tour of the Giants locker room and a
luncheon catered
in the press box
located high above the stadium field. NY Giants’ Sean
Landeta coached the youth on the field and also delivered a motivational speech to them at the luncheon.
In the afternoon, Jazz musician Jessica Elbert also sang
the national anthem, Sean Landeta gave a welcome
address, and 14 law firms teamed up for friendly 5 on
5 touch football competitions held on the Giants stadium field. Participating law
firms included: Kramer Levin; Cadwalader Wickersham
& Taft; Latham & Watkins; Dickstein Shapiro LLP; Paul,
Hastings; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Skadden, Arps; Gibson,
Dunn & Crutcher; Weil Gotshal; Morrison & Foerster;
Greenberg Trauig; and Connolly Bove. Congratulations
to Skadden Arps, who won this year’s tournament.
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Race For The Kids Raises Spirits and
Over Half a Million Dollars
More than 3,000 youth and adults participated
in this year’s fourth Annual Race for the Kids,
sponsored by RBC – part of Nickelodeon’s
Worldwide Day of Play – on September 27th
in Riverside Park. The event helped to raise
more than $560,000. In addition to raising
awareness of the importance of mentoring
in the lives of the city’s underprivileged youth,
the event focused on importance of exercise,
health and play.
Race for the Kids founder Rob Kelly kicked off
the race with an address to the crowd, followed
by Race Chairman Rich Franchella of RBC
Wealth Management and Jean Margaret Smith
from Nickelodeon. BBBS of NYC Executive
Director Michael A. Corriero also addressed
the attendees.
Following the race, all participants were invited for fun and food at a family picnic in the
park featuring entertainment provided by the
Nickelodeon “Slime Across America” truck,
and Nickelodeon characters Dora, Patrick and
SpongeBob. Other entertainment included a
musical performance by Menudo and games
and activities provided by the NFL and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
This year’s top fundraising teams were employees of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Willis,
Verizon, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and RBC. The teams with the most participants
were “Emily Jackson’s Sweet Feet” with 110 participants and Nickelodeon, with 108
team members.
Funds raised at the Race for the Kids event are crucial to underwriting the cost of
operating BBBS of NYC’s mentoring programs, and at the same time, serves to
promote mentoring which often leads to the recruitment of volunteers.
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Anthony and Malik — A Match
in So Many Ways
Anthony and Malik feel like brothers, even
though they are not related. They have so
much in common and their bond is so strong
after only one year of being matched, that they
are confident they will be brothers forever.
Anthony is a bi-racial 24-year old who, himself,
was a Little Brother from the ages of six through twelve in a BBBS program back in
Columbus, OH where he grew up. His Big Brother, John, was a tremendous source
of support and inspiration to him, and they remain in touch today even though
Anthony moved to New York City, where he currently works as the Assistant Vice
President for Business Banking at Chase. Anthony decided to contact BBBS of NYC
to volunteer, as a way of giving back for the good fortune he had to have such a
wonderful Big in his life.
Anthony was matched last September with Malik, a 10-year-old bi-racial boy from
the South Bronx who wanted a Big Brother in his life because his father is incarcerated. His mother, Jessica, supported the idea of
having a consistent, positive male role model in
her son’s life, who seemed to have “the weight
of the world” on his shoulders. She felt that the
agency’s Juvenile Justice Program’s “Children
of Incarcerated Parents” program would be a
perfect fit. After their first meeting, Malik knew
he had found his lifelong brother – the connection was instant. Maybe it was the fact that
they were both bi-racial, or maybe it was the
Making a presentation at Executive Director fact that their birthdays are only days apart, or
Michael Corriero’s “Welcome” event
maybe it was fate.
Their first outing together turned out to be the 2008 Race for the Kids, which they
both enjoyed tremendously. They went on to participate in many more agency
events, including the Bikes for Kids event. Anthony attended Malik’s birthday party
this year, and Malik and his mother were invited to a surprise birthday party arranged for Anthony. They like to visit museums and see shows, and Malik also
appreciates coming to Anthony’s music jam sessions. He is teaching himself to learn
guitar so he can join a jam session some day.
“People are always saying they don’t have time to volunteer. My reply is ‘Just try it.’
There are so many benefits from mentoring -- for the Big as well as the Little. My
own Big was so amazing that I set high standards for myself. In order to reach them,
I just keep trying. Every time I do, I’m better for it,” comments Anthony, who adds
that he is so proud of Malik and the amazing goals he has set for himself, which
include going to college and becoming an architect.
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Save These Dates!
Exciting Upcoming Events
12th Annual “Teen Holiday Jam” — Saturday, December 13th
The 1st floor conference room at BBBS of NYC turns into a jam-packed party for
Littles 13 years and over. Music, entertainment, food and refreshments, raffles,
prizes and more! At 223 East 30th St, from 7:00 pm till 11:00 pm. Limited space.
Registration required.
Recruitment team at NYC Boat Show — From Saturday, December 13th through
Sunday, December 21st, BBBS of NYC will host a booth at Jacob Javits Center to
raise awareness and recruit more male volunteers. For details, contact Michael
Coughlin at mcoughlin@bigsnyc.org
Blank Canvas Project — Saturday, December 20th from noon-2pm. Teaching
about the possibilities of art. Now accepting donations of new and “gently used” art
supplies to create art kits for Littles. To learn more about this project please contact
Kathy Kunath at 212-986-2042, ext. 228 or email kkunath@bigsnyc.org.
Ping Pong Tournament, Grand Central Terminal — Monday, January 26th
From 12:30 pm-5:30 pm BBBS of NYC is hosting “Ping Pong, a Tournament of
Champions” at Grand Central Terminal 16 doubles teams will compete for the “ToC
Pong” championship to raise funds and awareness for BBBS of NYC. A professional
ping-pong table will be centered within the all-glass squash show court in Vanderbilt
Hall and a Master of Ceremonies and an expert referee will oversee the tournament.
Event sponsorship opportunities are available. Each doubles slot costs $2,500. For
more information, contact Sharon Kessler at BBBS of NYC at 212-288-0642.
Film Screening: “Say it Loud” — Saturday, February 7th, at St. Rita’s Church
A film about having young men stay in school, focusing on truancy prevention. It
features Kobe Bryant, Mayor Corey Booker, Ludacris and other prominent men of
color. For more information, contact Beverly Houston at 718-235-9166.
Big Night Out — Saturday, February 21st
The Young Professionals Committee hosts “Big Night Out”, their largest fundraiser
of the year. This YPC event is headed downtown with a new venue — Cipriani Wall
Street. Guests will enjoy top shelf open bar, gourmet food stations, a silent auction,
casino games, and a live Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament. DJ Mode of Level V
and Guesthouse returns as the event’s house deejay. Last year approximately 1,000
guests bet their luck at this black tie casino night. Ticket prices range from $150-$200.
Tickets are available via the BBBS of NYC website or by calling 212-686-2042.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City | 223 East 30th Street | New York, New York 10016 | 212.686.2042 | help@bigsnyc.org