St. John’s ICARE Back-to-School event draws hundreds to Rockaway YMCA
ROCKAWAY, NY – It’s time for back to school! On Friday, August 19, St. John’s ICARE Foundation partnered with the Rockaway YMCA to host its 6th Annual Community and Back-to-School Wellness “Grab and Go” Event.
The annual event provided school supplies, health screenings and health education to more than 600 children in need on the Peninsula.
Hundreds of kids who may have gone without vital school supplies were able to start the school year with new backpacks filled with notebooks, folders, markers, crayons and more.
“It is always a joy to see the community come together to support kids and education,” said Nancy Leghart, Executive Director of the St. John’s ICARE Foundation. Leghart said. “At St. John’s we know that healthy health habits is the best back to school supply.”
More than 50 individuals and organizations donated to the back-to-school wellness “grab and go” event to help purchase backpacks and school supplies.
Thank you to the event’s generous donors:
- A+ Sponsor - Jzanus, Ltd.
- The 3 "R's" Sponsors - Richard M. Brodksy Foundation, The Lynch Family
- Bus Stop Safety Sponsors - The Dematteis Family, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, The Kasle Family
- Healthy Big Apple Sponsors - Bertrand Batista, ICON Contracting, LLC, Karyn and Gerard M. Walsh
- School Supply Sponsors - Rosabella Backus "Better World Project: Backpacks for Kids", Beacon Rehab and Nursing Center, Grace Church Whitestone, Healthfirst, National Grid (Donated school supplies)
- Wellness Sponsor - Dental365 (Donated youth dental kits and tote bags)
About ICARE: The St. John's ICARE Foundation, created in May 2022, fosters a culture of philanthropy to secure, manage and distribute gifts in support of the mission and vision of Episcopal Health Services and St. John's Episcopal Health Services. The ICARE Foundation, which stands for Innovation, Compassion, Respect and Empathy, raises awareness and funds in support of equipment, capital projects, special programs and community initiatives. To donate, visit ehs.org/giving or call (718)-869-8062 for more information.
About St. John’s: St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is the only hospital providing emergency and ambulatory care to the densely populated, culturally and economically diverse, and medically underserved populations of the Rockaways and Five Towns in southern Queens County and southwestern Nassau County, New York. Celebrating over 110 years of community care in 2016, the 257-bed facility provides people of all faiths with comprehensive preventative, diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitative services, regardless of ability to pay.
