The 2013 Konosioni Auction at the Palace Theater. Photo by Ashlee Eve ’14
The Konosioni Senior Honor Society will host its annual charity auction tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theater. Konosioni holds the auction to raise funds that they allocate to nonprofit organizations in our community the following year.
This year, Konosioni allocated a total of $20,000 to four local nonprofits dedicated to improving family health. At a Brown Bag luncheon this week, representatives from Utica Safe Schools, Mohawk Valley Perinatal Clinic, the Community Action Partnership Mary Rose Clinic, and Community Bikes came to discuss how they are using the funds they received.
Utica Safe Schools was allocated $5,000 to aid their Build a Bike Program, which takes donated bikes, strips them apart, and rebuilds new ones that are redistributed back into the community. Since the program started eight years ago, more than 3,000 bikes have been given to children from low-income families in the Utica community while also teaching them the importance of nutrition, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle.
The Mohawk Valley Perinatal Network received $7,300 to buy cribs for its Safe Sleep for Babies Initiative, which gives portable cribs to families who need them while educating on safe sleeping to help prevent infant death. At this point, 575 cribs have been given away, and with this funding, 100 more will be bought.
The Community Action Partnership Mary Rose Clinic is the only free health clinic in Madison County. It was formed to help alleviate the harm of poverty, and for 30 years has offered free health care. Sometimes patients need more than the average prescription or bandage, and this is where the funding becomes important. The $5,000 will help support the procedures and testing needed for patients with more extreme needs.
Community Bikes, started by Chuck Fox ’70, is a program for Hamilton and the surrounding communities. The organization gives bikes to members of the community who are recommended by local agencies and counselors. Individuals and families are paired with a volunteer to find them the perfect bike for their needs, be it to play in the sun or to commute to work. Everyone leaves with a bike, helmet, bicycle lock, and the knowledge of how to safely use their new equipment. Konosioni allocated $2,700 to the program.
The funds raised at tomorrow’s Konosioni auction will next year benefit a new host of organizations and the surrounding community as a whole.