Professional Documents
Culture Documents
point Volume 13
Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.
Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.
auto body mechanic. Considering all the obsta- match that will enrich the
cles he has overcome in his short life, it is high- life of another young per-
ly likely he will succeed at this endeavor too. son just as Paul has done
for Denny. By attending
Growing up, Denny lived in a predominately
the annual Nutmeg Gala
female home with his older sister and his mom “Big Hearts, Big Dreams,
Big Brother Paul Becker and Little Broth-
and his mom’s friend. His dad is in Jamaica and er Denny have been matched for 9 1/2 Real Hope” on Friday,
sees Denny only about once a year. When years. November 12th at Avon
Denny was 13, his mom made some rash deci- Old Farms Inn, you can
mentor to his Little. He gave up family time make a big difference in
sions leading to disruptions in the family dy-
as well as golf time to be there for Denny. the lives of at-risk young
namic. They always had a relationship that was
During this period Paul was working hard to people. The evening will be
loving and supportive, but this experience was emceed by WFSB TV mete-
build a new successful business involving
tough on Denny and affected his feelings to- orologist Scot Haney. Jay
long hours. But to Paul, the effort has been
wards his mom. He ended up spending 3 years Harris, anchor of ESPN’s
well worth it. Denny, despite his initial re- Sports Center will deliver a
living with his aunt, who even with 5 boys of her
sistance, listened to Paul and became a keynote address.Contact
own, welcomed him warmly.
conscientious student. Denny works part- 860-525-5437, ext. 139, or
During this time of stress, Paul Becker was with time (at a job Paul helped him to get) to save visit www.NutmegGala.
Denny as a friend and mentor, a sounding money for the tuition for school. The two Kintera.org to learn more
board when Denny needed to talk. They have about this fund raiser.
have plans to create a budget for Denny so
enjoyed bowling and playing sports together. he’ll be able to meet his goals. If you cannot attend,
Paul even taught him to play golf, a game Paul please consider sending a
When Denny talks about his Big Brother, he donation in the attached
loved but didn’t have much time for, and one
calls him the most important person in his envelope.
that Denny came to enjoy. They often went to
life. “He helped me to see the need for a high
movies, an occasional Yankees game and even Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.Gala.
school diploma and beyond in order to go
the Bronx Zoo. Dinners at restaurants were an
On Saturday, June 19, Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Each year since 2002, the members of the 43rd Aviation Flying
Park in Portland offered free admission to 500 Bigs and Littles Club have donated their time, expertise and equipment so
from Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. In addition, Brown- youngsters in the Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring
stone donated 50% of that day’s gate receipts to the non-profit, program can become familiar with the basics of flying and then
with the goal of moving kids off its waiting list and into life- experience the thrill of actual flight in a carefully maintained and
altering match relationships. This makes the third year in a row fully equipped 4-seat, single-engine plane. The activity has be-
that Brownstone has stepped up to lend a hand to Nutmeg, the come so popular at Nutmeg that a lottery must be held annually
state’s premier youth mentoring organization. to regulate the crush of candidates. This year's group was made
up of 10 Bigs and Littles. Among them was 15-year-old Ariel
“This is unbelievably generous on the part of everybody at
and her Big Sister, Denisha Brown.
Brownstone,” said Laura Green, Nutmeg’s President and
CEO. “Thanks to their efforts, children now in our program will First up for the pilots-for-a-day is a run-through on navigation,
experience a day on a Class-A fresh water quarry lake they’ll weather patterns, instrumentation, cloud formations and a check
remember forever. And many children who’ve expressed the list of key other items. Afterwards, conditions permitting, the
desire to join our program will soon have a caring and reliable Littles and their Bigs are taken aloft for a breathtaking flight.
role model in their lives that they might not have benefited from Sometimes, with supervision, the instructors allow the Littles to
otherwise.” handle the controls for a few miles.
The event is called “Mentoring-in-Motion” and the emphasis is The flying adventure has many benefits, in addition to being a
definitely on the word “motion”. Attendees took part in cliff- whole lot of fun. It exposes the Nutmeg Littles to possible career
jumping, rock climbing, hiking, biking, snorkeling, wake board- options. It empowers them by introducing them to an activity few
ing, zip lining, kayaking, and swimming. For “Bigs” and “Littles”, of their peers have taken part in. Also, because mentors and the
there were free scuba diving, rock climbing, snorkeling and children being mentored enjoy this unique activity as a team, the
wakeboarding lessons. And fueling all of this fun was seven bond between them is substantially strengthened.
hours of live music supplied by crowd-pleasing local bands
“What a wonderful gift,” said Laura Green, President and CEO
Prizm, For a Cure, Something to Go By, Rusted Sliver and
of Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. “And what a wonderful
Zayne Couch Explosion.
way it is to add dimension to a child’s world!”
“Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park is committed to
The 43rd Aviation Flying Club is a non-profit, member-owned
teaching outdoor adventure skills to kids and adults,” said Gen-
association established in 1962 and based at Brainard Field in
eral Manager Sean Hayes. “Outdoor adventure sports develop
Hartford. The club has a diverse membership with a wide range
lasting bonds between participants, confidence and a sense of
of aviation experience, from low-time weekend pilots to sea-
discovery, while instilling a love of the great outdoors, passion
soned fliers with thousands of accumulated hours. For more
for the environment and physical activity – lifelong obsessions
information, visit the organization’s website:
that Brownstone is proud to promote through great organiza-
www.43rdaviation.com. ☺
tions such as Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters.”
Earlier in her career, Mrs. Blanks was an actress with the Hartford Stage Company. She also spent twenty-five years working as a story-
teller and reader at the Hartford Public Library. In a specially-equipped van, she traveled to schools, nursing homes, museums, churches,
parks and even the occasional laundromat to weave her unique brand of magic. At one point, she estimates, she was telling stories to
80,000 people annually. Her performance skills, upbeat personality and advocacy for the intellectual and social growth of young people
have made Mrs. Blanks a living legend with generations of Hartford residents.
Mrs. Blanks has been a volunteer with Nutmeg’s Foster Grandparent Program since 1999. She’s been stationed at the Fox School for
just a year, yet in that relatively short amount of time she’s made a definite impact.
“I won the lottery when Gertrude Blanks was assigned to my class,” said Rose Vouthounes, a second-grade teacher at the Fox School.
“She has a way of sparking the creativity of the children and is always working to build on their reading skills. With her mesmerizing story-
telling abilities, she never fails to command the attention of the students.”
Principal Michael D. Lorenzo said, “I haven’t known Mrs. Blanks for long, but I do know that I could use many more people with her pas-
sion for education. She inspires not only her students at Fox, she inspires everybody here. And that includes me.” ☺
Upcoming Events
“Big Hearts, Big Dreams, Real Hope” Gala
Friday, November 12th, 2010 Avon Old Farms Inn, Avon with Scot Haney as Emcee
Contact: 860-525-5437, ext. 139, www.NutmegGala.Kintera.org