Parents and youth looking to participate in the Family YMCA at Tarrytown after-school theatre program next school year are almost guaranteed the program will continue at Washington Irving School in Tarrytown. Thanks to a $5,000 grant just received from The Miles Hodsdon Vernon (MHV) Foundation, combined with anticipated support from the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, the Y Theatre will continue to offer its highly valued, tuition-free after school theatre program for the 2010-11 school year.
This grant award is specifically targeted to offset expenses from the program which, for five years, was jointly funded by the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) and the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns. After the economic downturn of 2008, WCF changed its focus from after-school programming to hunger abatement and programming for seniors. Last year the YMCA secured a $5,000 legislative grant from Andrea Stewart Cousins as well as support from Miles Hodsdon Vernon which, when combined with annual support from the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, enabled Y Theatre to present Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in Spring 2009, James M. Barry’s Peter Pan in November 2009, and the upcoming production of The Monkey King on March 10 & 11, 2010.
“The Miles Hodsdon Vernon Foundation was alerted to the potential closing of the Y Theatre after-school program in Spring 2008 after Barbara Turk, Vice President of the Family YMCA at Tarrytown, made a short speech prior to the curtain call for the 2008 Spring production of Bilingual Midsummer Night’s Dream. Audience member Barbara Muldoon of Sleepy Hollow contacted MHV Foundation, which also provides support to other YMCA programs. “My neighbors have benefitted from participating in these performances, and I have been so impressed by seeing them and so many other children performing Shakespeare and other classic plays and musicals,” said Ms. Muldoon at the time.
For further information about the Tarryown YMCA and its programs call (914) 631-4807
