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Press Release
Sea Quest Kids Have Great Time at Montefiore
Sea Quest Kids had a sensational time building boats at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore 1st Annual Christmas Party!
December 15 was a great day at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore. It was the inauguration of the 1st Annual Christmas Party. On hand with Sea Quest Kids and the Hospital Staff was a large contingent of Power Squadron leaders at the local and national level. It was a momentous time for Sea Quest Kids. The positive experiential power and tremendous impact in the life of a child of building a Sea Quest 100 was being recognized to have significant impact not only in the personal lives of kids, but also as having therapeutic potential.
All of the top level executives of the hospital came out to witness first hand how captivating and motivating it is for a child to build a Sea Quest 100 in a few short hours. They saw an Autistic boy completely focused on his tasks and not wanting to give up. They saw problem kids veritably become new people showing caring for others, willingness to work with and help others, and willing to reach out and bring kids in to the experience and teach them. Hard cases of kids who never showed caring about anything came and spent long times watching the kids building boats.
Knowing that not all of the kids at CHAM could come to the party, the party was taken to them. USPS T-shirts supplied by the Green Foundation and boating safety coloring books supplied by Met Life were given to the kids. Commander Ted Smith and Fearless Leader Steve Gronka led the troops though the wards to bring smiles to the faces of kids whose illnesses were too serious to allow them to come to the party in the CHAM's lobby.
The hospital staff was astonished. There was a magician brought to the party and Sea Quest Kids had to be asked to stop so that the kids would go and watch the show. Although the magician did a fine job, the real magic was taking place in the front lobby of the Children's Hospital At Montefiore where two Sea Quest 100s were taking shape and the boats in turn were shaping the lives of children who were forever being changed in remarkable ways.
The top executives of the Montefiore Hospital are strongly in support of Sea Quest Kids and the work being done. Vice President, told Paul Amirato "Make sure that Sea Quest Kids get all the help they need. Do everything possible to make sure that this continues." All of the execs are priming for the christening and launch ceremony to be held this spring. They are also looking forward to paddling with the kids in the first races.
This whole amazing experience may have never happened were it not for the fortuitous meeting between Mary Doncourt, Montefiore Pediatrics Director of Administration and Steve Gronka, Sea Quest Kids' Fearless Leader. The chance meeting in September led to a request for Sea Quest Kids to be part of the 1st Annual Christmas Party for the Children's Hospital At Montefiore. The first request was to build a boat and then that expanded to "Would you build two boats?"
Little did Doncourt know that Sea Quest Kids are always prepared to build as many boats as logistics will allow. They were actually once asked, about 11 years ago, if they would build over 100 boats as a start up program in San Diego. Maybe someday there will be more than 100 Sea Quest 100s in the Bronx and the little league of boating will be entwined in the fabric of life enhancing experiences available to all children there. With the enthusiasm of Montefiore Hospital and the presence of the State University of New York Schuyler Maritime College in the Bronx, there seems to be a real chance of this happening. There is such a rich maritime heritage and tradition in the area that it seems as though Sea Quest Kids and the Bronx are a definite match.
Sea Quest Kids thank the Children's' Hospital At Montefiore for being the primary sponsor of the boat building events and one of the best hosts that they ever had. Special thanks also go to Sea Quest Kids corporate sponsor Montano Candy and Montano-Hartmann Motorsports for supplying Christmas candy for 400 kids. A huge thanks go to the United States Power Squadron, led by Chief Commander Ted Smith who rallied a boat building swat team of national and local USPS leaders. Thanks also go to the Formula Boats racing team of Tom Caruso (Total Marine) and Carl Saitta (Roger &Son Food Service Equipment and Supplies) who dressed in uniform and wowed the kids with racing stories and helped the kids building the boats. Many thanks also go to Mercury Marine, Formula Boats, Stearns, The Home Depot, UnReal Productions, and Lowe's, who help make it possible for Sea Quest Kids to be on the road.
Press Release
Sea Quest Kids Have Great Time at Montefiore
Sea Quest Kids had a sensational time building boats at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore 1st Annual Christmas Party!
December 15 was a great day at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore. It was the inauguration of the 1st Annual Christmas Party. On hand with Sea Quest Kids and the Hospital Staff was a large contingent of Power Squadron leaders at the local and national level. It was a momentous time for Sea Quest Kids. The positive experiential power and tremendous impact in the life of a child of building a Sea Quest 100 was being recognized to have significant impact not only in the personal lives of kids, but also as having therapeutic potential.
All of the top level executives of the hospital came out to witness first hand how captivating and motivating it is for a child to build a Sea Quest 100 in a few short hours. They saw an Autistic boy completely focused on his tasks and not wanting to give up. They saw problem kids veritably become new people showing caring for others, willingness to work with and help others, and willing to reach out and bring kids in to the experience and teach them. Hard cases of kids who never showed caring about anything came and spent long times watching the kids building boats.
Knowing that not all of the kids at CHAM could come to the party, the party was taken to them. USPS T-shirts supplied by the Green Foundation and boating safety coloring books supplied by Met Life were given to the kids. Commander Ted Smith and Fearless Leader Steve Gronka led the troops though the wards to bring smiles to the faces of kids whose illnesses were too serious to allow them to come to the party in the CHAM's lobby.
The hospital staff was astonished. There was a magician brought to the party and Sea Quest Kids had to be asked to stop so that the kids would go and watch the show. Although the magician did a fine job, the real magic was taking place in the front lobby of the Children's Hospital At Montefiore where two Sea Quest 100s were taking shape and the boats in turn were shaping the lives of children who were forever being changed in remarkable ways.
The top executives of the Montefiore Hospital are strongly in support of Sea Quest Kids and the work being done. Vice President, told Paul Amirato "Make sure that Sea Quest Kids get all the help they need. Do everything possible to make sure that this continues." All of the execs are priming for the christening and launch ceremony to be held this spring. They are also looking forward to paddling with the kids in the first races.
This whole amazing experience may have never happened were it not for the fortuitous meeting between Mary Doncourt, Montefiore Pediatrics Director of Administration and Steve Gronka, Sea Quest Kids' Fearless Leader. The chance meeting in September led to a request for Sea Quest Kids to be part of the 1st Annual Christmas Party for the Children's Hospital At Montefiore. The first request was to build a boat and then that expanded to "Would you build two boats?"
Little did Doncourt know that Sea Quest Kids are always prepared to build as many boats as logistics will allow. They were actually once asked, about 11 years ago, if they would build over 100 boats as a start up program in San Diego. Maybe someday there will be more than 100 Sea Quest 100s in the Bronx and the little league of boating will be entwined in the fabric of life enhancing experiences available to all children there. With the enthusiasm of Montefiore Hospital and the presence of the State University of New York Schuyler Maritime College in the Bronx, there seems to be a real chance of this happening. There is such a rich maritime heritage and tradition in the area that it seems as though Sea Quest Kids and the Bronx are a definite match.
Sea Quest Kids thank the Children's' Hospital At Montefiore for being the primary sponsor of the boat building events and one of the best hosts that they ever had. Special thanks also go to Sea Quest Kids corporate sponsor Montano Candy and Montano-Hartmann Motorsports for supplying Christmas candy for 400 kids. A huge thanks go to the United States Power Squadron, led by Chief Commander Ted Smith who rallied a boat building swat team of national and local USPS leaders. Thanks also go to the Formula Boats racing team of Tom Caruso (Total Marine) and Carl Saitta (Roger &Son Food Service Equipment and Supplies) who dressed in uniform and wowed the kids with racing stories and helped the kids building the boats. Many thanks also go to Mercury Marine, Formula Boats, Stearns, The Home Depot, UnReal Productions, and Lowe's, who help make it possible for Sea Quest Kids to be on the road.
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