charity

The UMMC Foundation is holding its annual Fall Auction at the Clarion Hotel tonight.

Director Lorie Stupp said the foundation expects to raise $30,000 from the event.  More than 260 tickets were sold.

The evening opened with snacks, drinks and a chance auction, followed by dinner and a live auction hosted by Bontrager's. 

There was also a sumptuous dessert table.

Matt Mondoux, a resident of Grand Island and an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, is walking for Lou.

Mondoux, who passed through Genesee County yesterday, is walking the width of New York, all the way to Yankee Stadium, in order to raise money for research into Lou Gehrig's Disease.

"When you see a bunch of people who aren’t getting the kind of help you think they deserve, you realize they need somebody who isn’t directly effected by the disease to help out," Mondoux.

Lou Gehrig's Disease wasn't something Mondoux paid much attention to until a friend was diagnosed and he started doing a little research.

He said reading the blogs of victims raised his awareness and concern for people who have been afflicted.

"Reading up on it, I got kind of emotionally attached," he said. "It was kind of sad that even though I’m a New York Yankee fan, I didn’t know exactly what Lou Gehrig’s Disease was."

Mondoux served 10 years in the Army, but works now at a Seneca-Niagara casino. While he said his employer has been exceptionally supportive of his walk, the 14 days he's taking for the trek is an unpaid leave of absence.

People along the route have already been incredibily supportive, he said.

While he stopped in Bethany and spoke with a reporter, somebody drove up and handed him $2, apologizing that he didn't have more money with him.

A guy walking down the road in a Yankees uniform gets a lot of attention, Mondoux said.

Once he arrives at Yankee Stadium, Mondoux will attend a game using donated tickets. He hopes to be able to get all of the Yankee players to sign his jersey.

If he can raise $2 million, he said, he would like to donate the jersey to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to help raise awareness of Lou Gehrig's Disease.

"I'll even give them my lucky hat," he said.

He bought the Yankees cap on Sept. 11, 2001, just outside of New York City -- he could see the towers burning that day from where he was, he said.

"It's been with me everywhere," he said. "It's been with me in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wore it the day my daughter was born. It's been everywhere, from Europe to Las Vegas."

Now it's going to Yankee Stadium.

To donate and to track Matt's progress, visit Walking4Lou.com.

Friday's MDA "Fill the Boot" drive sponsored by the IAFF local was an amazing success according to city firefighter Greg Ireland.

Ireland said city firefighters collected $7,156 for "Jerry's Kids."

That tops a record set last year by city firefighters when they raised $5,601.

"We are very grateful to the wonderful people of Batavia and Genesee County who gave to this great charity," Ireland said.

The New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute will begin its annual Honorary Membership drive in Genesee County within the next 10 days, according to Sheriff Gary T. Maha.

He wants to make citizens aware of the membership-drive mailings so they will know this is an official fundraising effort and not a scam.

The New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute was established in 1979 and is a not-for-profit corporation, tax-exempt organization. Contributions to the institute are tax deductible.

While the Sheriff’s Office is a unit of county government, many of the concerns of Sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies are best addressed on a statewide level.

The Sheriffs’ institute provides centralized training programs and services for all Sheriffs’ Offices, where those programs and services would be unavailable or impractical on a single county basis.

The flagship program of the Sheriffs’ Institute is the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for economically challenged children.

The Sheriffs’ Camp, in its 35^th year of operation, is located on Keuka Lake; and 840 children from across New York State attend each summer. The Sheriffs’ institute pays the entire cost of the camp stay plus transportation. Most children attending would not otherwise have an opportunity for vacation travel or a summer camp experience. 

The Sheriffs’ Camp program combines summer recreation with activities designed to teach an understanding of, and respect for, our laws and the men and women who enforce them. The strong camper-to-counselor ratio allows for individual attention with an emphasis on the development of self-esteem.

“In these difficult economic times, we cannot forget our youth who will not have the opportunity for a summer camp experience or a summer vacation,” Sheriff Maha said. “By becoming an honorary member, you are supporting the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for economically disadvantaged children.”

In addition, the Sheriffs’ institute operates a scholarship program that provides one scholarship to each of New York State’s Community College’s Criminal Justice Programs. This program is designed to help attract the best and the brightest to the criminal justice vocation.

For more information about the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp and other Sheriffs’ institute programs, visit our Web site, www.sheriffsinstitute.org or simply search Sheriffs’ Institute.

Financial support for many of the Sheriffs’ institute programs comes from Honorary Membership dues. Invitations for Honorary Membership are extended on a non-partisan basis, and the invitees are selected at random.

Any person interested in supporting the efforts of the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Institute by becoming an Honorary Member should contact the Sheriff if they do not receive an invitation in the mail, or visit our Web site at: www.sheriffsinstitute.org to download an application.

The Sheriffs’ institute is registered with the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau.

Here's a letter to the community from friends of the Sputore family.

Dear Friends, Families & Business Owners:

This letter is to inform you of “Brooklyn’s Journey” -- a fundraising effort to assist a beautiful young family in Batavia whose child is facing a life-threatening situation.

Beyond her big blue eyes and her fair skin, Brooklyn Grace Sputore is suffering from a condition called Vein of Galen Brain Malformation, which is a form of an aneurysm. This is a life-threatening condition that requires special care.

The family will be traveling to Roosevelt Hospital in New York City for the appropriate treatment, including a number of surgeries.

Brooklyn Sputore is the daughter of Michael and Julie Sputore, of Batavia, the grandaughter of Paul and Mary Sputore, and Doug and Jan Hawley, both of Batavia. Michael and Julie also have a 5-year-old son.

In addition to the challenges of the condition alone, the parents will need to take leave of their jobs while caring for the child, which will create further financial need.

“Brooklyn's Journey” is a community effort to support the challenges this young family faces. There is a fundraiser planned for April 10 at St. Joseph's School at 2 Summit St., Batavia, from 12:30-5:30 p.m.

This will include a spaghetti dinner, a Chinese auction and other raffles. The tickets can be purchased pre-sale from Paul Sputore 781-8138 and other committee members. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Brooklyn's Journey T-shirts are $15 and can be purchased from Bruce Dedman 716-560-0031 or T.F. Brown’s /Mancuso Bowling Center. All proceeds will assist this family in this difficult time.

The family is seeking donations of baskets, prizes or gift certificates for the fundraiser. Monetary donations are gratefully accepted and can be sent to Brooklyn Sputore, c/o: Paul & Mary Sputore, 18 Sumner St., Batavia.

Please consider helping this family. Any questions, ideas or for more info, please call Chris Sputore (716) 316-3744. Your help is gratefully appreciated!

For Batavia-area residents working in Monroe County, unless they specifically earmark their United Way donations for Genesee County, the money will remain in Rochester.

The formula for divvying up the funds has been changed, starting with the next pledge campaign. United Way's fiscal year runs from March 31 to April 1 of the following year.

More than a dozen local nonprofits rely on help from the United Way. Recipients include the Salvation Army and the Genesee/Orleans Regional Concern. Each year they receive a portion of funds based on the estimated percentage of people who commute to work in Rochester (since Genesee County falls under the umbrella of the Rochester-area United Way).

As expected, about $20,000 in so-called "commuter dollars" will be forthcoming this year.

But thousands of dollars could be rerouted to Monroe County charities for the 2011-12 pledge drive and beyond unless people designate Genesee County as the intended recipient of United Way funds.

"The best we can do is word of mouth -- we don't have money to market and tell people that this is required or we don't (get to) keep the money here," said Jamie Beedham-Rada, regional director of the United Way.

The option for designating funds for a particular county was not included on pledge forms until now.

The code number 9022 must be noted on donor/pledge forms, including those filled out online.

"Their thinking is that big donors, like Xerox, etc., don't have as many workers, donations are down, and there are fewer dollars to go around," Beedham-Rada said. "So unless they use the 9022 code number, the money will stay in Rochester.

"That's our concern -- we could lose thousands and thousands of dollars, Beedham-Rada said. "The fix is easy, but if people don't know, the money won't come back. And without United Way funding, many local agencies would be in dire straits."

"Have a Heart, Save a Heart” benefit for Bridget (Vogt) Lynch will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight today at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Road, Batavia.

There will be a chicken barbecue, Chinese auction, raffles and live music from Red Creek, Savage Cabbage and Damaged.

Tickets are $20 and include $5 of free play at the Downs.

BOCES' Health Dimensions will calculate your blood pressure for a $1 donation and $5 haircuts from cosmetology students are also available.

Bridget was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. She has had two open heart surgeries so far, one at 7 days old and the other at 5 months old.

She's now 4 and will be undergoing her third, and hopefully last, surgery around this month or next. All benefit proceeds will be be used to help cover the expenses of Bridget’s care.

To make donations, questions or to buy tickets, call Chelsey (Lynch) Mills at  297-4768 or email Chelsey_1026@yahoo.com or call  A. Morelli at 813-1476.

Children in the Pembroke Primary classes have been raising money for Wings Flights for Hope this month rather than exchanging Christmas gifts. So far, they've raised more than $200. The classes raising money are taught by Mrs. Altmann and Mrs. Parada. Mrs. Altmann, a volunteer firefighter in Williamsville, has promised to match what the amount the kids raise by Dec. 23.

Submitted by Kimberly Schiefer.

With Christmas only a week away, the Genesee County Salvation Army is facing a critical time crunch to get the food and others items to families who need them. To say they are coming up short on donations this year, in this economy, is an understatement.

Plus, there's a dearth of bell-ringers, so that's taken a bite out of the Salvation Army's holiday charity campaign.

There are 750 local families who've applied for assistance, and plenty more on a waiting list.

"It's the working families who are really getting squeezed," said Capt. Patty Kurtz, "'the working poor' as the government calls them, are the majority of those who applied this year."

She said the charity used the bulk of its $15,000 Genesee County food budget to buy grocery store gift certificates this year. It also allows families to buy a turkey, ham or whatever for Christmas dinner, and stretches their food budget at a time when their kids are on winter break for two weeks.

The Salvation Army has stocked food items too, of course, with help from Batavia-based business Holiday Ice, which it will start giving out, along with the gift cards, to those on the list beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday, and again on Tuesday. That'll be at headquarters, 529 E. Main St., in the City of Batavia.

Between now and then, food donations would be super appreciated. Can anybody spare a frozen turkey -- like today or tommorrow?

There were 150 of the birds donated and given out at Thanksgiving. For Christmas, they have about 200 on hand, far below what 750-plus families could enjoy.

"It would be ideal if we could (at least) give every family a turkey," said Kurtz, who is called "Captain Patty."

P.S. -- The Salvation Army's winterwear drive lasts all season long. So if you have gently used coats, sweaters, scarves, mittens, gloves, hats, etc. there are people in Genesee County who could sure use them.

To contact the Salvation Army in Batavia, call 343-6284. E-mail Capt. Patty at patricia.kurtz@use.salvationarmy.org.

A capacity crowd was at the Holiday Inn on Friday night for the UMMC Foundation's Fall Auction. The event included a Chinese auction, big-screen TV drawing, dinner and a live auction. Proceeds benefit the new surgery center scheduled to open in January.

It was Pink Hatters Night at the Holiday Inn this evening.  The event is an annual breast cancer awareness program.

It included a Chinese auction, dinner, Dr. Nina Strollor as a speaker and a comedy variety show hosted by Nels Ross.

You may seen firefighters around town in pink T-shirts over the next week or so. It's not the new team color. After the wife of a firefighter was diagnosed with breast cancer, the entire department agreed to start wearing pink T-shirts as a sign of support. It's also turned into a fundraiser.

Members of the department will be at Thursday's Batavia Muckdog's game selling pink T-shirts with the Batavia City Fire Department logo on the front for $10 each. The proceeds will benefit Genesee Caner Assistance.

Pictured from left are, Rich Stefani, Mike Morris, Jeff Stevens, Bill Hilchey and Frank D'Angelo.

The crew at Top Line T-shirts made up patriotic shirts to sell at the Picnic in the Park on July 5. When there were some left over, owner Tim Walton was trying to think about what to do with them.

He struck up a conversation with longtime friend Jody Lutley of Hometown Hugs. Hometown Hugs is a local organization that has been sending care packages to soldiers in Afghanistan since the war started.

Walton and Leitey hit on the idea of sending the shirts to troops in Afghanistan, and Walton even printed up another batch to send over.

Pictured are Leitey, Walton, Rob Credi, Walton's business partner, and Andrew Maxwell.

City firefighters raised $5,601 in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association this year as part of its annual "Fill the Boot" campaign.

It's the most ever donated in a single MDA boot drive, according to Greg Ireland, president of IAFF Local 896.

On Friday, off duty firefighters, stood at the intersections of Main and Court and Ellicott and Court with firefighter boots and asked passersby to drop in donations.

"It was an amazing day," Ireland said.

Firefighters Mike Morris and Jeff Whitcombe were on Main Street at Court Street this morning collecting donations from drivers passing by as part of the City of Batavia Fire Department Local 896's annual campaign. The funds benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Firefighters will be at Main and Court and Ellicott and Court until 5 p.m.

City of Batavia firefighters are asking local residents to once again "fill the boot."

The annual fundraising drive benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

At 9 a.m. Friday, residents are encouraged to drive through the intersection of Court Street and Ellicott Street or Court and Main and drop donations into a firefighter's boot.

This is the 16th year City of Batavia Fire Department Local 896 has sponsored a local "fill the boot" drive.

Last year, the community donated $4,500 to the effort.

"Everyone at the firehouse is looking forward to this Friday," said Union President Greg Ireland.  "The guys really appreciate the generosity of those that can give, whether it be their spare change, a dollar or even more."

Donations help cover everything from wheelchairs to braces, physical therapy sessions to kids summer camps.

Photo: File photo from last year.

Gary Draper is really happy to have a bicycle again. It will allow him to get back out on the road raising thousands of dollars for the American Diabetes Association.

Despite being the victim of a hit-and-run driver ran on Center Street in Batavia on Thanksgiving Eve, Draper is ready to hit the road, doing what he's done since 1995 with great success -- soliciting donations for his favorite charity.

The hit-and-run driver, who has never been identified, put Draper in the hospital for eight days with bleeding around his brain, fractured check bones, a broken hip and back. He says he's fully recovered now and will hit the road, riding from Albion to Warsaw and Akron to Scottsville in his quest to garner more donations.

"I've been doing it for 15 years and I've raised $110,000 so far," Draper said this morning after taking a ride for the first time on his new bike.

The new bike itself is a story of community charity. It was donated by a Batavia police officer (who asked not to be identified). John Roche, owner of Adam Miller Toy and Bicycles, said the officer bought the bike years ago for his mother-in-law but she had stopped riding it. 

P.W. Minor, Brach Machines and Tri-County Welding all donated funds, time and material to not only repair some broken items on the bike, but improve and enhance it.

"We know there were quite a few repairs that we didn't pay for that John (Roche) did," said Nancy Brach.

The repairs included re-enforcing the frame, adding more lights, a computer to track Draper's miles and a new paint job.

The one piece of salvageable hardware on the old bike was a seven-speed hub. It didn't quite fit the new bike, Roche said, so Dan Mattice "made it fit."

"As many miles as he rides, he needs those gears," Roche said. "Just a regular one speed or three speed wouldn't be enough. He'd be killing himself out there."

Draper said he estimates he puts on 2,400 miles a year on his bike.

Roche said Adam Miller repaired his old bike many times just to keep it going.

It's important for Draper to get back on the road, he said, because so many people will only donate if he comes around.

"A few people say they won't give to anybody else," Draper said. "When the Diabetes Association dials, they say, 'No, thanks. I'll wait for Gary Draper to come around.'"

Well, he'll becoming around soon, on a new black bicycle, a gift from his friends in the community. He said he plans to start his charity rides by the end of April.

Photo above from left: Nancy and Bill Brach, John Roche behind Gary Draper, and Joyce and Dan Mattice.

Photo below: Gary Draper asked for a picture of himself on the bike in profile.