Honoring our Coach-Mentors at our 2023 Change Makers Benefit
The third annual America SCORES New York Change Makers Benefit was hosted at Manhattan’s iconic Angel Orensanz alongside friends of the organization, poet-athletes, and this year’s honorees -- our coach-mentors!
Hosted by Coaching for Change alumna Yasmine Sanchez, the evening honored those who work with our young people everyday and act as their cheerleaders, guides, facilitators.Our mentors are our teachers, our community leaders, our soccer and poetry coaches and our future coach-mentors - the young people who take part in our Coaching for Change Academy
With a focus on trauma-informed coaching, our mentors are the backbone of ASNY programming and they ensure that our poet-athletes have a safe space where they can exercise, express, and exist freely.
The evening kicked off with a champagne reception that featured a bio of each of our 9 coach-mentors and an opportunity for our guests to reflect on those who’ve made a difference in their lives. After a few brief words from Board Chairman Edison Bardowell and Executive Director Danielle Madden-Buck, our host Yasmine took the stage to kick off the show alongside our honorees.
We made sure to bring a community feel to all aspects of the evening, even at dinner! Our family-style dinner was served, provided by community caterer, Collective Fare. Collective Fare Catering is a local community catering organization that is empowering and promoting sustainable food culture, local food systems resiliency, food access, community wellness, and sustainability.
Then our poet-athletes Mia, Karla, and Coaching for Change Academy alumna Johanna took the stage to share their poems about coaching and mentorship, bringing the room (and their coaches) to tears.
The evening ended with opportunities to reconnect and celebrate America SCORES New York and we couldn’t be more grateful for those who made the night such a success. A huge thanks to our sponsors and to all who attended — what a way to celebrate another wonderful year of ASNY!
