BCCA Celebrates National hispanic heritage month!
Recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month is important to BCCA.
As many of our students come from Hispanic backgrounds,
they are proud to share their family heritage with one another.
Belle came to Anna House dressed in different traditional outfits!
Our younger students celebrated throughout the month by reading
some of their favorite bilingual books by Hispanic authors.
Our school-age students identified each Hispanic country and flag,
then shared their nationality with the group,
and finished by practiced writing the country name and drawing the corresponding flag.
Summer Break with BCCA
This summer has been packed with surprises for our children!
In between field trips and visitors for Storytime, our students took full advantage of our expanded outdoor area to beat the heat. Jonathan led our school-age group in an all-out water experience, including a snake sprinkler and foam squirt blasters!
Our school-age students ventured out to Bee’s Arts and Crafts Studio. Each child chose their own special project. Isaac decided to work on a train, adding all of his favorite colors, while Melissa painted a ceramic M to decorate her bedroom!
In July, our school-age students took a trip to the Long Island Aquarium. They had a great time learning about the different kinds of seals, especially watching the grey seal and Western Atlantic Harbor seal play with their toys!
Anna House had two visits from Platinum Plus Mobile Gaming. First, a laser tag tournament for our school-age students was set up in our brand-new school-age playground! Each round was more competitive than the last, and our students excelled in their communication and teamwork skills. Then, we had a visit from the Game truck and Glam truck! Everyone had a chance to play their favorite video games, practice their skills on new games, and pamper themselves with a manicure. The day didn’t end until everyone celebrated with a pizza party lunch!
As our needs grow year after year, we expand our programs! Faith’s House, which just completed its third year of operation, addressed the need and offered a new school-age program during the summer race meet. Prior to opening this past summer, BCCA worked to make the necessary modifications, license a school-age classroom, and create a second playground for our school-age students at Faith’s House.
BCCA’s Storytime continued this summer at both Anna House and Faith’s House. Chris Carpenter, former professional baseball player, Pam Abrams, BCCA Advisory Board Member and author, and Maggie Wolfendale Morley, NYRA Racing Analyst, stopped in to read at Faith’s House.
Our children at Anna House received Storytime visits from our very first graduate, Jonathan, as well as Xochilt, one of our earliest graduates, and Javier Castellano, Hall of Fame Jockey and Winner of the 2023 Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes.
Our children at Faith’s House also benefitted from our partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Along with their families, they were given tickets to see the New York City Ballet perform three classics: Swan Lake, Fancy Free, and Firebird, and experience the Philadelphia Orchestra perform “Earth: An HD Odyssey”.
The new school year has officially begun, and we are so excited to watch our students thrive in new environments and teach us new things!
BCCA Can Do and We Did!
We are thrilled to share that our Racing for the Children blockbuster event was record-breaking for BCCA and sold out for the second year in a row!
BCCA President, Libby Imperio, made the presentation to our 2023 Honoree, the iconic Barbara R Banke.
"I think that Anna House and Faith’s House are wonderful. Thank you to BCCA for coming together to assist our backstretch workers and families." - Barbara R Banke
BCCA Chairman, Michael Dubb, presented BCCA's Humanitarian Award to Larry, Leslie, and Randy Sarf of LSU Stables.
"We are very proud and love being a part of BCCA. We look forward to continuing to support its mission and the wonderful programs they provide for the children." - Larry Sarf
Thank you for your unwavering support and generosity!
Remembering Herb Moelis
The Herb Moelis Memorial Saratoga Special Stake Race was held on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course. Herb and his wife, Ellen Moelis, founded the Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) and the Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (T.E.R.F.) and BCCA is a proud grantee of both organizations.
BCCA Executive Director, Joanne K. Adams, attended the memorial trophy presentation and the group connected with Marleny, an Anna House graduate who is interning for NYRA in the 1863 Club this summer. Marleny is a junior at Schuylerville High School and has an interest in studying nursing when she goes to college.
Pictured L to R: Erin Crady, TCA Executive Director, Ellen Moelis, Marleny, Joanne K. Adams, BCCA Executive Director, and Dottie Bagnato, BCCA Bookkeeper.
BCCA Summer Carnival!
The BCCA Summer Carnival was a huge success! From cotton candy, popcorn, and hot dogs, to cornhole, face painting, and a magic show, there was something special for everyone to enjoy, regardless of age.
Sempre Fame BBQ assisted us in providing everyone with hot dogs, hamburgers, and all the fixings. We also provided hot, fresh-popped popcorn from a genuine old-school popcorn machine!
Mister Softee stopped by to supply delicious ice cream for everyone! Who can say no to soft serve with extra sprinkles? We sure can’t! And for those who don’t ‘scream for ice cream’, Ms. Joanne made sure there was a cookie and a cupcake at the ready. No-one left without dessert on her watch!
Some special guests made an appearance, including Rainbow Sprinkles, who masterfully painted our children’s faces into a wide array of designs.
Some of our school-age students had an impromptu cornhole tournament, while others assisted the younger students in practicing their throws. A few of our students even had their own dance party – we had to get the wiggles out somehow!
Each child received a unique summer fun basket, courtesy of the National Charity League – Garden City Chapter. We are so grateful for the mother-daughter teams that joined us to volunteer! The mother-daughter duos have served as after-school program tutors and mentors, and they have included project driven teams to provide much needed support to our students and their families.
Volunteers from the Hance Family Foundation joined us to provide our mothers and school-age children with giveaway cosmetic baskets, and small treats for our younger children. They were a huge hit! Visit @selfesteemrising on social media to learn more about their incredible program.
We can’t wait to see you all next summer!
pizza party with Mr. ken!
July is full of smiles here at Anna House! We were so fortunate to have another of our occasional pizza visits by Mr. Ken, otherwise known as Ken Adams, husband of our Executive Director, Joanne K. Adams.
Outside of his real job, Ken is a dedicated pizza baker, so the news that he’d be visiting was met with much excitement by our school-age kids!
Two kinds of pizza were on offer. First, Ken had our kitchen oven “ready to go” for two Detroit-style pies—think pizza meets focaccia, with a crazy caramelized edge to the crust. He used special pans and a steel slab, to ensure that crisp crust.
Then he set up shop outside Anne House and cranked out six 16-inch New Haven-style pies—think a crunchier, slightly charred version of a regular New York-style pie. It required a carload of gear, including an Ooni pizza oven, a cart for the oven, a folding steel table, three kinds of pizza peel, and two dough boxes. The ingredients were straightforward: dough balls he made two days ago, using organic high-gluten flour; a simple tomato sauce; and two kinds of mozzarella.
The kids observed the process—for Detroit-style pizza, adding yet more cheese cubes on top of a dough that already contained plenty of cheese, and adding stripes of tomato sauce after the pizza came out of the oven. For the other pies, he baked them first in a preheated 750°F Ooni oven with the flame off, then reignited the flame, and during both stages turned the pie regularly to ensure even baking.
The kids listened to Ken intently, and a good time was had by all, including BCCA staff, who swooped in to dispatch the extra pizzas after the kids had had their fill.
Joking aside, Ken’s visit was consistent with BCCA’s mission—to expose kids to the world of possibilities in even the most basic of activities.
Thank you Mr. Ken! We are so grateful for your incredible generosity and support.
You are the MVPP (Most Valuable Pizza Person)!
Congratulations to Anna House’s 2023 Graduates!
On June 20, BCCA celebrated the Anna House Class of 2023 graduation.
Graduates were presented with diplomas by BCCA Founder and Chairman Michael Dubb and BCCA President Libby Imperio in front of their proud families.
We were thrilled to recognize Xochilt, one of our first graduates, who received a BCCA college scholarship as she enters a five year program at Northeastern University to study civil engineering and architecture.
We are so grateful to be able to provide each graduate with backpacks full of school supplies to set them up for kindergarten in the Fall. We are so proud of all our graduates!
“Change the first five years of a child’s life and you change everything!”
BCCA Celebrates Spring Fling!
BCCA recognized 2023 Thoroughbred Industry Honoree, Maggie Wolfendale-Morley, and 2023 Community Honoree, Joan Hope MacNaughton, at our annual Spring Fling Hat Luncheon and Fashion Show which was hosted at the Garden City Hotel.
Spring Fling featured a fashion show by J.McLaughlin, a luxury raffle, and a live and silent auction. Thank you to all those who participated. Your support is tremendously appreciated!
NYRA Trophy Presentation in the Winner’s Circle!
BCCA Celebrates the Anna House Class of 2023!
Daniel and Mariapaz were so excited to get an up-close look at the race!
Our 2023 Spring Fling Thoroughbred Industry Honoree, Maggie Wolfendale-Morley, took a break from her on-air commitment to interview Daniel and Mariapaz.
Andy Serling, TV Analyst and Handicapper for the New York Racing Association, stopped by the Winner’s Circle to take a photo and send his best wishes to our graduates!
David O’Rourke, President & CEO of NYRA, was two thumbs up for our children!
2023 Kentucky Derby Winner and Hall of Fame Jockey
Javier Castellano visited us at Anna House!
BCCA is proud to welcome Javier as the newest member of our Board of Directors
and we wish him the best of luck in the upcoming Preakness Stakes!
Our students were so excited to meet him that they gave him
a surprise performance of the Anna House song.
Javier sat down with our K-prep students to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Our doctors-in-training put on their white coats to give Javier
a complete checkup to ensure his readiness for the Preakness Stakes
and he in return presented them with their very own pair of goggles!
Javier Castellano is one of only two jockeys to win four consecutive Eclipse Awards.
He set the single-year record for purse earnings and has won 12 Breeders’ Cup races, three Triple Crown events, and a record six editions of the Travers Stakes. Castellano’s remarkable story and run of dominance in American racing during his career is unparalleled.
He has risen to heights few have ever achieved in the saddle and has done it while remaining humble and being one of the sport’s best ambassadors.
Excerpt from The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
Project Playground with the JLLI!
On April 1, BCCA was honored to welcome our long-standing community partners, The Junior League of Long Island (JLLI), to Anna House. Members of the JLLI joined us and assisted with the installation of new playground equipment, tidying up the garden and outdoor space, and painting, as part of their Project Playground Initiative.
Photo by Ed Shin.
“We are proud to partner with BCCA to cultivate our signature project: Project Playground in conjunction with Anna House. This community partnership emphasizes the importance of safe spaces for children to learn and play. Playgrounds and early childhood play are the basis of imagination and teach our children the fundamentals of turning their creativity into reality,” said Cristine Bruno, current President of The Junior League of Long Island.
Photo by Ed Shin.
“Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) is honored to have the Junior League of Long Island (JLLI) as a community partner as we work to change lives at the racetrack every day,” said BCCA’s Executive Director, Joanne K. Adams. “Our 2023 campaign, BCCA Blooms: Nourishing Mind · Nourishing Body · Nourishing Family, focuses on the importance of health and leading active lives. BCCA was thrilled to work with the JLLI on this much needed Playground Improvement Project and we are exceedingly grateful to them for their incredible generosity.”
Photo by Ed Shin.