Five (GREAT) things to know about some "kids" from Greece, NY

Greece has deservedly received some bad press recently. I’m too sickened by the reports of abuse, abysmal academics, bullying, and random Johnny Does riding buses to repeat the coverage, but it’s safe to say that many Greece alumni, many who still live there, are left scratching our heads wondering, “What happened?” For many of us, we enjoyed being part of a great district, surrounded by amazing friends, challenging academics, competitive sports programs, and friendships that blossomed in neighborhoods and now exist across state lines. I write this not only as a reminder that amazing things have come from Greece, but also as a polite push for the youth who live there to rise above the mean spirits of adolescence. If you want to make the news, let it be for what you’ve accomplished. And when you’re picking your friends, align yourself with those who make others feel good just for being in the room. Do the right thing because you can. For those of us who are Greece alumni, let’s be proud of what it was and what it still can be. Perhaps us “elders” can be role models?

Two years ago, my sister and I created a nonprofit, and because of it, we continue to cross paths with others whose greatest success is the way they give back. So many Rochesterians, both West, East, and in the Middle, choose to do the right thing, but keeping in line with the purpose of this post, I want to share with you the following: Five (GREAT) things to know about some “kids” from Greece.

1. IACKids (It's About Caring for Kids) was started in 2012 to provide financial support to middle-income families and alleviate the financial burden associated with their sick child during long-term inpatient and outpatient hospitalization. IACKids assists with housing, transportation, and medical costs while a parent is out on medical leave from work so they can care for their child. The co-founders of IACKids are ALL Greece alumni. From Greece Olympia are brothers Neil '94, Anthony '98, and John Butera '01, and Nino Pilato '92, and from Greece Athena is Loreto Barbone ’00. The Board of IACK was inspired to create the foundation after watching their dear friends, also Greece alumni, experience the traumatic loss of their son. The co-founders saw how many kids were in their hospital rooms alone because their parents had to work as there were still so many bills to pay. The co-founders were inspired to help eliminate that financial stress on those families so they could spend time with their child, and honor the beautiful son of their dearest friends. To date, IACKids has raised over $500,000 to support over 70 local families faced with the financial devastation that accompanies a child's severe illness. To learn more about IACKids, visit their website at www.iackids.org or find them on Facebook by clicking here.

2. The Just Breathe Foundation started in 2013 to make the lives of those living with cystic fibrosis (CF) more manageable. Just Breathe provides financial assistance for medical costs for CF patients and their families in the Rochester area. The foundation participates in various CF fundraisers throughout the year and holds an annual CF Christmas Ball the weekend before Christmas. Four of the founding members of Just Breathe are Greece alumni: Sara Defendorf  Greece Arcadia ’01; and from Greece Athena Jamie Polidori ’99, Louie Maier ’06, and Bianca Alaimo ’07. The board was inspired to create Just Breathe in honor of one of their dear friends who struggles with CF so much that extended hospital stays and numerous complications prevented her from holding a job, all while bills continued to pile on. Since its foundation, Just Breathe has helped 10 CF families finance their medical bills, mortgage payments, prescription costs, and utility bills. To learn more about Just Breathe, visit their website at www.justbreathefoundationcf.org or find them on Facebook by clicking here.

3. JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. T1D is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone people need to get energy from food, and it strikes both children and adults regardless of diet or lifestyle. There is no prevention and there is no cure. Even with intensive blood glucose management through injections or infusions, a significant portion of the day is still spent with either high or low blood glucose levels, placing people with T1D at risk for devastating complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation. Today portions of the JDRF-Rochester are heavily spearheaded by two Greece Athena alumni, Joseph Proia ’96 and Al Broccuto ’97, whose sons were both diagnosed with T1D at a young age: Hudson Proia at 18 months and Dominic Brocutto at 3 years. The Rochester Chapter of JDRF raises more than $1 million through events like the Walk to Cure Diabetes and Hope for a Cure Gala. Both Proia and Broccuto work in corporate banking and have assembled a great team to work with the corporate staff to get awareness and raise funds for the walk. This year’s walk is on May 17 at RIT. To learn more, visit their website at http://rochester.jdrf.org or find them on Facebook by clicking here.

4. Dreams from Drake was founded in 2013 and provides local children and teens with various forms of support needed to move forward while experiencing the confusion and grief associated with the loss of a sibling or parent. The hope is to make an incredibly painful time somewhat more bearable by providing these children and their families with resources needed to ensure that they go on to live healthy, happy and productive lives. Dreams from Drake was founded by Haverly Erskine, Greece Athena ’98, and Jaime Erskine-Pettit, Greece Athena ’96, one year after Pettit lost her son, Drake Pettit, in a tragic accident. As a way to keep his memory alive and to pass on his “sharing is caring” spirit, the sisters decided to create a foundation that helped other children realize that they are not alone in their grief. Learning from what they found most helpful in their darkest hours, and joined by therapists, primary care givers, and other life specialists on their board, they now provide monthly services to children and their families. Today, they work with over 30 families and have raised over $50,000 to offer meals, support groups, social outings, books, and much more to grieving families. They are hosting a Birthday Bash that is free to the public on May 31 at Total Sports Experience from 4-6pm in honor of what would have been Drake’s 7th birthday. To learn more about Dreams from Drake, visit their website at dreamsfromdrake.org or find them on Facebook by clicking here.

5. Champions of Change started in 2013 when Greece residents and brothers Jeremiah and Joshua West (now 10 and 7 years old respectively) were inspired to write a book called Champions of Change: Live to Give! Their ongoing focus is to make the world a better place by giving back to their community and to those who are less fortunate. These young philanthropists have a two-fold mission: improving childhood literacy and teaching their peers how to give, save, and spend their money wisely. They actively recruit other children to join their Champions of Change efforts; as a result, over 200 kids volunteered alongside Jeremiah and Joshua in 2014. A few of their recent projects include a “Kids Fun Run” that raised over $3,000 to help a six-year-old battling cancer and his family pay his medical bills; a “Feed a Family” Thanksgiving mission that served over 1,300 pounds of food to 42 families in need; hosting two Homeless Christmas Parties in Rochester and Buffalo that served over 200 people with meals, gifts, and free haircuts; and most recently, the Greece natives along with their family hosted a “Birthday in a Bag Celebration” for kids who reside at a shelter in Rochester. Twenty children received bags full of everything-birthday including balloons, party hats, cake mix and frosting, and a copy the Champions of Change book, ensuring that they too can celebrate their big day even if money is tight at that time. Jeremiah and Joshua live with their mom (also raised in Greece native), dad and younger sister. To learn more about Champions of Change, visit their website at www.championsofchangeusa.org or find them on Facebook by clicking here.

Take away note: It's not about saving the world. It's about deciding what type of person you want to be and remembering that you will see positive changes in your life when you start dropping some genuine kindness on the lives of others.  -Haverly