On Thursday, April 27, 2017, Backyard Sports Cares hosted its first annual Backyard Benefit at the Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club. The benefit, the first of its kind for Backyard Sports Cares, honored teen volunteers from Rye Country Day School and Mamaroneck High School for going above and beyond as Backyard Sports Cares Club leaders at their respective schools. These teens help run sports programs for underserved and special needs children as volunteer coaches for Backyard Sports Cares. In addition to honoring exceptional teen coach volunteers, Backyard Sports recognized more than a dozen “Most Valuable Team Players” from the organization’s Backyard Sports Plus program, which offers a unique team sports option for teens with special needs who love participating in competitive sports.
Sponsored by Advocate Brokerage Corp., AQR, Fidelis Care, MVP Basketball Camp, NatGen Premier, New York Sports Medicine Institute, and PM Pediatrics, and through the extreme generosity of our guests, the benefit raised more than $200,000, which will fund various sports programs for disadvantaged and special needs kids in Westchester.
“I am deeply grateful to the 400+ friends and supporters who turned out to honor our amazing volunteers and Most Valuable Team Players,” said Danny Bernstein, Executive Director, Backyard Sports Cares. “Our programs are special because of the caring commitment and enthusiasm that our volunteers bring to our team sport experience and the generosity of our supporters. Seeing some of our Special Needs MVP Team players hugging and cherishing their trophies at the end of the evening was a simple reminder of our mission to bring an enjoyment and love of sports to all kids regardless of ability or background.”
