Kanas Family Foundation Issues Challenge Grant To Support Moriches Community Center

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Pictured above: Moriches Community Center 4k Run participants from CMHS: Greg Sinnott, Kevin Gwinn, Stephen Lantz, Stephen Wieser, John Szczecina and James Davis. Moriches Community Center has launched a new fund raising initiative as they continue toward their goal of creating a permanent facility where all local residents can experience fun activities and develop healthy relationships. The John and Elaine Kanas Family Foundation has generously issued a challenge grant in support of this much-needed project. The Kanas Family Foundation will match dollar for dollar all cash donations made to the Moriches Community Center Building Fund up to a total of $30,000.

"We are very excited," said Kathleen Johnson, Co-Executive Director of Moriches Community Center, a not-for-profit organization. "Community participation is vital to our project's success, and we hope this challenge by the Kanas Family will encourage even more generous contributions to the Building Fund since contributors will know they are doubling the effect of their donations." Johnson said that the tangible result of those donations will be a permanent community center facility where they will be able to expand current programs and add new ones. Moriches Community Center has received a donation of two portable buildings from Colonial Youth and Family Services, and the Center Moriches School District has agreed to enter a lease with the Community Center for property at the CMHS where the portables will be transformed into a permanent facility.

Over the past three years, Moriches Community Center has initiated programs and activities in the local schools and other "borrowed" facilities, including After-School Tutoring, sponsored by North Fork Bank of East Moriches, Open Gym nights, and Camp Creativity funded by Brookhaven Youth Bureau.

"Elaine and I are happy to offer our financial support for their efforts to create a facility which will benefit so many local residents," Kanas said. "We challenge others in our communities to help out to the extent that they are able."

Donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $30,000 beginning today through December 31, 2003. Anyone wishing to donate to the Building Fund may send a check to Moriches Community Center, Inc., P.O. Box 22, Center Moriches, NY 11934. For more information on Moriches Community Center, please call Kathleen Johnson at 878-3267 or Tony Parlato at 878-0410.

The section below goes along with the above photograph:

For the second year in a row, Brittany Carter, a 15-year-old from Speonk, was the female overall winner of the Moriches Community Center 3rd Annual 4k Run/Walk fund raising event held on Saturday, June 14. The male overall race winner was Reed Mauser of Setauket. Moriches Community Center raised over $5,500 thanks to the generous sponsorship of local businesses and professionals, including Suffolk County National Bank, King Kullen, Drs. Curtis & Campbell, Handy Pantry, Moriches Medical Care, Suffolk Allergy & Asthma Center, Dun-Rite Appliances, Drs. Singh & Mehta, South Shore Physical Therapy, Moriches Bagel Deli, South Bay Medical Care, Dr. Karen Langone, Drs. Judith and William Savino, Plumb Tech, A Room of Therapy, Future Graphics and IGHL.