The Barclays

April, 2003
Junior Leagues Provide PGA TOUR Event With Volunteers and Orchestrate County Wide Literacy Event with PGA TOUR Players' Wives

HARRISON, N.Y. -- The Buick Classic announced that the six Junior Leagues of Westchester will be an official charity of the 2003 Buick Classic, New York's premier PGA TOUR event. The Buick Classic returns to Westchester Country Club, June 16-22, 2003.

The six leagues include: Junior League of Bronxville; Junior League of Central Westchester; Junior League of Northern Westchester; Junior League of Pelham; Junior League of Westchester on the Hudson; and Junior League of Westchester on the Sound. The Junior Leagues are committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

"The Buick Classic is pleased to have the Junior Leagues involved with this year's tournament " said Peter Mele, executive director of the Buick Classic. "Together, the Buick Classic and the Junior Leagues of Westchester can positively impact our local community, and we are proud to introduce a literacy program to our activities."

As a beneficiary, the Junior Leagues will provide more than 100 volunteers in an array of tournament activities including: running the Disability Services program; oversight of the childcare facility offered to players' families; assisting with the inventory, packaging and distribution of volunteer apparel and credentials; and supporting special events such as a Wives Outing, a Tuesday Night Pairings Party and a Community Service Event with PGA TOUR Wives focused on a literacy event in local schools.

"When the tournament director approached me about participating, we quickly seized the opportunity to pool the resources of the Junior Leagues across Westchester to support the Buick Classic and create a county-wide event focused on literacy," said Fran Pepe, president of The Junior League of Bronxville.

On Tuesday, June 17 members of the PGA TOUR Wives will accompany members of all six Leagues to a simultaneous "Read Around Westchester" reading at each League's literacy program.

About the participating Junior Leagues (alphabetical)

Junior League of Bronxville is comprised of approximately 450 active and sustaining members, who serve the Southern Westchester communities of Bronxville, Eastchester, Mt. Vernon, Tuckahoe and Yonkers. The JLB owns and operates the Pennypincher Shop, a thrift store in Tuckahoe, annually grants money to area non-profits and awards the Positive Power Scholarship Award to local high school seniors. Community partners include, the Greyston Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Yonkers Public Schools, Mt. Vernon Hospital, Lawrence Hospital, Mt. Vernon Head Start, Wartburg Adult Care Community and the Eastchester Community Action Program.
Contact: Fran Pepe 914/337-5250.

Junior League of Central Westchester
The Junior League of Central Westchester has more than 250 active and sustaining members. Members of JLCW are accomplished collaborators who identify community needs and develop effective and responsive programs to serve those needs. Together, the group contributes more than 10,000 hours of time to the communities served ,including Scarsdale, White Plains, Hartsdale, Eastchester and Greenburgh. Key projects include Safety Town, a safety awareness course for children entering kindergarten; Love Shouldn't Hurt, an annual conference that educates and raises awareness of teen dating abuse to more than 300 high school students; a Career Closet for women with limited resources who are interviewing for work; a face-to-face reading program to children who may not be exposed to reading at an early age; and providing educational tours to adults and children of Wayside Cottage, a national historic site that JLCW has been the custodian of since 1953.
Contact: Trish Klestadt, 914/723-6130.

The Junior League of Northern Westchester, comprised of 60 active members, 12 provisional members and 200 sustaining members, represents Mount Kisco, Bedford, Pound Ridge, North Salem, Lewisboro, Yorktown, Somers, Ossining, Chappaqua, Armonk and Pleasantville. Key contributions and projects include the Mary Hughes Sakraida Community Service Award for high school seniors; Silent Witness; founding the Northern Westchester Shelter; Mt. Kisco Day Care Center; and the Katonah Museum of Art, as well as community projects such as the Holiday Sharing Drive, Children Who Witness Domestic Violence Seminar, Child Care Training Fair, Teen Symposium for Dating Abuse Education, the Defibrillator Program for Northern Westchester County, Children's Health Fair and Breast Health Committee. The JLNW also owns and operates the Thrift Stop which features new and gently used clothing and house wares. The shop is located in Bedford Hills.
Contact: Christina Dochtermann 914/666-4966.

The Junior League of Pelham, comprised of 260 active, provisional and sustaining members, represents Pelham and Pelham Manor. This league's key focus areas are literacy, domestic violence and Pelham preservation/beautification. Projects supporting these areas have included the creation of Julianne's Playground, Pelham Lantern Restoration and education donations for local children of World Trade Center victims. Ongoing projects include Elementary Reading Program at Paideia in Yonkers; Middle School Tutoring/Mentoring program at Pelham Middle School; Sponsorship of Summer Stars, an early literacy intervention program for Pelham elementary students; restoration of Weyman Park and an annual scholarship for a high school senior.
Contact: Christy Hall 914/738-1603.

Junior League of Westchester on the Hudson (JLWOH) is comprised of 286 members, who live in the Hudson River communities of Westchester and Rockland including Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings on Hudson, Irvington, Nyack and Tarrytown. Key ongoing projects include: The Nearly New Shop, owned and operating by the League, is a thrift shop selling quality new and gently used clothing for the entire family and is the main source of funding for the League. Career Closet supports community needs and serves those people in our communities who are moving from welfare to work. Clients are referred by the Department of Social Services and other recognized agencies and receive up to four outfits of business-appropriate clothing; New Beginnings provides new household and food items to families moving into permanent housing. Clients are referred by the Department of Social Services and other recognized agencies and receive items such as linens, blankets, children's clothing, kitchenware and furnishings.

Contact: Kathy Descamps, 914-524-7758.

The Junior League of Westchester on the Sound (JLWOS) is comprised of 285 active and sustaining members who live and/or work in the Sound Shore communities of New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, Rye Brook, Harrison, Purchase and Port Chester. JLWOS supports its community projects and programs through funds raised from the operation of its thrift shop, The Golden Shoestring, located in Larchmont. Last year this league granted a total of $58,000 to its communities, including $6,000 in community scholarships to high school seniors, who in addition to their academic excellence showed a real commitment to community service. Key projects include: the ABC committee, which focuses on literacy programs for children and adults; Abbott House, which supports young boys in foster housing; Playgroup 1-92, a multi-generational playgroup which brings together preschool children and nursing home residents; Mentor Toward Advanced Education; Soundettes; and Leaguers Unite, which coordinates numerous "Done in a Day" projects to better our community.

Contact: Liza Szwajkowski 914/833-2119.