Basketball Players Helping Those Who Need It Most

Friends of Karen, which supports critically-ill children and their families, are the beneficiary of a community-focused fundraiser held at the Mt. Sinai High School on Saturday, February 2nd. The event was led by the Mt. Sinai Boys and Girls Junior and Varsity Basketball Teams.

Every year the coaches and members of the basketball teams host a clinic for local 1st through 8th graders to help provide them the basic fundamentals of basketball; including a shooting and free throw contests, 3-on-3 tournaments, games, and dribbling competitions.

The clinic was started by coach Jeff Koutsantanou, who is a long time supporter of Friends of Karen. “It is a great opportunity to support and raise awareness about Friends of Karen while helping and inspiring young kids to play basketball.”

Funds raised from the event will help support Friends of Karen’s Family Support Program, which is provided by a team of experienced and compassionate social workers, sibling support specialists and art therapists.

About Friends of Karen: The mission of Friends of Karen is to provide emotional, financial and advocacy support for children with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses and their families in order to help keep them stable, functioning, and able to cope. Friends of Karen serves families living in the New York tri-state region and offers its lifeline of support services at no cost to them so they have more time for what's most important: each other. Friends of Karen has received a four-star rating for nine years from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates the financial efficiency and responsibility of over 8,000 U.S. charities. Friends of Karen also meets the 20 Standards of Charity Accountability of the BBB of Metropolitan New York.

For more information about Friends of Karen or this special event, please call Rebecca Mowl at 631-473-1768 ext. 303 or visit www.friendsofkaren.org.