2008 EVENTS & NEWS
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD
C.O.R.S.E. Foundation Receives Community Partnership Award
In March of 2008, Tracy Johnston and Marynell Henry, co-founders and co-presidents of the CORSE Foundation accepted the Community Partnership Award from the Federation for Children with Special Needs for the state of Massachusetts. This award was in recognition of the outstanding efforts of the Foundation in support of opportunities for inclusion of people with disabilities in the community. This recognition was made possible by the commitment and financial support of our members, the entire Scituate community, as well as organizations and individuals outside of Scituate who generously contributed to CORSE. The award was presented at the Federation's annual conference where over 1,000 attendees participated in a day long conference, which provides information for parents, and professionals who support and advocate for children with special needs. Richard Robinson, executive director of the Federation, said CORSE was chosen “because their program is a perfect example of a successful community effort to enrich special needs students’ lives.”
3RD ANNUAL GALA AND AUCTION
On Saturday May 10th, the CORSE Foundation held its 3rd annual Gala and Auction at the Scituate Country Club. The evening included a dinner buffet, music, raffle baskets as well as a silent and live auction. This event, as always, was a great time, with a lively auction, great raffle items, and dancing! We raised $19,000 toward CORSE programming and resources! Click here to view a presentation highlighting CORSE programs and events over the past year.
LOSE THE TRAINING WHEELS
The week of July 7-11th, dreams came true for 35 children and their families who participated in the Lose the Training Wheels Camp, as children with special needs mastered riding a two-wheel bike. The camp was run by the highly qualified staff from LTTW Inc. which was founded by Dr. Richard Klein, who has successfully brought this camp to over 65 locations across the country and Canada. This was the first LTTW Camp to be held in the state of Massachusetts. Over 45 volunteers participated to coach and encourage the children as they used a series of adapted trainer bikes throughout the week. The children moved on to more challenging bikes as skills and confidence increased and ultimately, rode a two-wheel bike. The children’s self-confidence visibly beamed during that week. They can now engage in a typical child’s activity that is so important to childhood socialization and development. The parents continually reinforce how wonderful and extremely valuable this program was for their children and themselves. They often watched from the sidelines with tears in their eyes and immense smiles on their faces, demonstrating the overwhelming pride and joy they felt for their kids. Click here to view a brief video of this incredible program.
THERAPEUTIC HORSEBACK RIDING AT BOOTH HILL FARM
This is the second year the CORSE Foundation has sponsored Therapeutic Horseback Riding at Booth Hill Farm. The six week program accommodated 15 children in one hour or ½ hour sessions. The children were not only taught the fundamentals of riding but developed their self-esteem through respect and caring for the animals. The children learned to thoroughly groom and tack up their horse or pony. Their riding experience also allowed the children to improve balance, posture, muscle tone, range of motion, strength, mobility and focus. The program director was Linda Adams who has been a licensed instructor and trainer for over 35 years. We would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the Welles Remey Crowther Trust for supporting this worthy program.
ALL-STARS CAMP
For two weeks in August, 25 children with special needs had the opportunity to participate in a camp experience that looked and felt like a camp any child would have wanted to join. With the support and direction of highly qualified staff from Scituate Recreation, the children’s days were filled with recreational activities, sports clinics, arts and crafts, special performers and was capped off with a field trip on Friday’s to a pirate ship and bowling alley! Every child was afforded the opportunity to have fun, be successful, build confidence and make new friends. This is the second year for the All-Stars Camp, and we would like to thank the staff and donors that contributed to the success of this program!
We would like to acknowledge our sponsors for their generous contributions to the Lose the Training Wheels and All-Stars camps: Aquamarine Services, Barry Brothers Disposal, Braga and Associates, Building 19, Circe’s Grotto, Clay Nissan, CVS Caremark, DHR Associates, Friends of Scituate Commission on Disabilities, The Genesis Fund, The Reardon Family, Roche Bros., Rockland Trust, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Scituate Federal Savings, Scituate Special Olympics, and The Waters Family.
"HIT THE COURSE" FOR C.O.R.S.E
2nd Annual “Hit the Course for C.O.R.S.E.” Golf Tournament
The 2nd annual C.O.R.S.E. Golf Tournament was held on Thursday, October 9th at the Hatherly Country Club in Scituate, Massachusetts. This was a wonderful opportunity to play the exclusive 18 hole Hatherly Country Club and raise funds for the C.O.R.S.E. Foundation. The tournament was scramble style and a fun-filled event with prizes for Hole in One, Closest to the Pin, and Longest Drive. A putting contest during cocktail hour was open to both golfers and non-golfers followed by dinner, music, awards and a silent auction. The event raised over $18,000.
2008 VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
- Click here to view a video shown at our 2008 Gala featuring photos from 2007-2008 student programs.
- Click here to view a video of the 2008 Lose the Training Wheels program.
2008 PRESS COVERAGE
Several newspaper articles were published in 2008 about CORSE Foundation programs and events. Click on the headline listed below to view the complete article:
-
"An honorable CORSE" - Scituate Mariner, 2/28/08
-
"Mothers who have been there" - Boston Globe, 2/28/08
-
"Scituate moms awarded for work with town's special needs programming" - Patriot Ledger, 3/1/08
-
"Scituate lucky to stay on CORSE" - Patriot Ledger, 3/12/08
-
"Camp will help special needs kids lose the training wheels" - Patriot Ledger, 4/15/08
-
"CORSE, Rec. Department offer bike program" - Scituate Mariner, 7/08
-
"Training wheels: Who needs 'em" - Patriot Ledger, 7/11/08
-
"Our Opinion: A bicycle built for one" - Patriot Ledger, 7/14/08
-
"Thanks for success of bike camp" - Scituate Mariner, 7/31/08
-
"South Coastal donates to CORSE" - Scituate Mariner, 2008
-
"Scituate woman will serve on state special-education advisory board" - Patriot Ledger, 10/01/08
TO MAKE A DONATION OR BE A SPONSOR:
Help provide needed support to children with special needs in our community through a contribution to our Foundation. For more information, please click here.