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The LIAM Foundation and the Great South Bay YMCA are working together to raise money for children with disabilities who wish to attend summer camp.
Based in Brightwaters, the LIAM Foundation is a nonprofit with a mission to provide inclusive camp experiences to children with special needs.
On Friday, March 6, the foundation and the Great South Bay YMCA will be having the first-ever Laughs For LIAM at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore.
Hosted by New York City comedians, the night will start with Claudia Bonavita and feature Faceoff Unlimited, an improv comedy group. The $50 ticket also gets patrons trips to the open bar, with wine and beer, along with a chance to check out the raffles available.
“Through fundraisers like this, the LIAM Foundation raises money to be used to pay the support counselors for two weeks easing some of the financial burdens on the family,” Tracy Sirc-Chandler, an inclusion coordinator at the Great South Bay YMCA told GreaterBayShore.
All year, the foundation works to raise money so that children have their very own support counselor to help them navigate the social and physical demands of camp at the YMCA. These shadows stay with their individual child for the two-week-long summer day camp held in Bay Shore.
“Without the help of the support counselor, these particular children would struggle with the various demands of the camp day,” said Sirc-Chandler.
She said that some of these common struggles are the fast pace of camp, initiating conversations, maintaining friendships, and understanding rules or expectations. But organizations like LIAM help all kids feel included.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online here.
Top: Inside the Y Boulton Center in Bay Shore (credit: Facebook)
