As everyone knows St. Cecilia’s School is closed. It took a lot of the community by surprise but in the end with all parochial schools in the area failing and closing over the last decade or so, it’s less of a shock when you think about it.
I received an email a couple of weeks ago from native Greenpointer Rick Aston of Parties On Point regarding the gym at St. Cecilia’s. The gym is currently in use by a lot of kids from the neighborhood, the projects and low income families. The church has a new pastor and he is now requiring any use of the gym to cost $20 per hour. That doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize they hold practices four days a week, three hours a day. Plus, the pastor is also telling them about the electric and gas bill being high, so they leave off the AC in the summer and the heat in the winter.
I’m not knocking the pastor or the church because it’s also understandable that since they’re in such dire straits the church probably needs the loot itself.
This is where I hopefully come in to help by posting this and reaching neighborhood residents and businesses that may not know about this and want to help. The kids who are using this gym are a part of basketball teams from the AAU and CYO leagues. These are the places where High School talent scouts come to find the goods. Without access to this gym, where would these kids go? It gives them the opportunity to go to a better High School, on to a better college, on to a better life.
Rick’s DJ-ing company donates a lot to this but of course they can’t do it alone. He’s been trying for months to get people, businesses and locals to help with little success. The kids can usually compete in tournaments out of state in places like Pennsylvania and Massachusetts but this year they’re having to only compete locally because they just don’t have the money to rent the space for practices and go on the trips to compete in tournaments.
So here’s the deal. They need loot. You can help. Just $20 will help these kids have another hour of practice. And for businesses this is a legitimate non-profit company. If you’re looking to make some tax deductible donations why not do it to help people and kids in your own neighborhood. The people who shop at your stores and buy your wares – help them!
They’re also looking to hold a fundraiser or two in the future. Businesses can donate their services. Food, decorations, prizes for raffles – all that good stuff that gets your businesses name out there.
No one gets paid in the gym – it is all volunteer. Neighborhood people helping neighborhood people. It’s what close knit communities do. So now that you read this you want to know how you can help, right? Well here are all the details and options for anyone and everyone to lend a hand.
First off you can click this handy little PayPal button below or the permanent one on the left sidebar and send off some cash to help the On Point Cyclones and the St. Cecilia’s Gym!
You can call or email Rick at 347-723-4886 or email him at Ricky1066 [at] aol [dot] com to discuss any other ways you want to help. They really could use a few neighborhood businesses to pitch in and help. It would mean the world to these kids and the people who help and volunteer for them.
Check out the On Point Cyclones team page just to see the faces of some of the kids you’ll helping.
And hey, if you can’t give any dough click one or two of these nifty buttons below and take a minute to spread the word across the ‘net.Or maybe you want to donate more, write a check and get a receipt for the tax donation? You can swing by St. Cecilia’s Gym Monday and Tuesday nights from 6:30-9pm and drop off your check or cash. Plus, you get to check the kids out in action.