STANDING Brooklyn’s Biggest Booster
Stations awarding do-good groups
BOROUGH WIDE
Calling all innovators!
News stations NBC 4 New York
and Telemundo 47 teamed up with
the NBCUniversal Foundation to
launch Project Innovation on Jan.
11 for the second year in a row, which
hands out grants to local organizations
that strive to combat community
issues through original and revolutionary
ideas, according to the president
of WNBC.
“Building strong classrooms and
advancing Stem education are important
community priorities for
WNBC. This is why we are excited to
again partner with the NBCUniversal
Foundation and reward innovative
non-profi ts who are making our
schools and neighborhoods better
places to live and learn,” said Eric
Lerner.
In 2018, the Red Hook Initiative —
which helps youngsters in the neighborhood
overcome systemic inequities
— was one of three local do-gooder
organizations in the city to take home
a grand prize of $100,000 for its Initiative
Digital Stewards program, which
prepares low-income young adults for
tech careers.
This year, NBC and Telemundo will
give away nearly $2.5 million in grants
as part of Project Innovation to local
organizations working to inspire the
next generation and build community
solutions in four different categories,
including Next Generation Storytellers,
which are programs that empower
the next generation of storytellers and
utilize media to drive social impact;
Culture of Inclusion, which are programs
that seek to build pathways
for diverse and equitable communities;
Youth Education, which are programs
that equip youth with the tools
they need to succeed, including Stem
and Steam education; and Community
Engagement, which are programs that
enable individuals to engage and volunteer
in their communities.
So get working on that application
— the last day to submit it in English
at nbcuprojectinnovation.com, or in
Spanish at nbcuproyectoinnovacion.
com, is Feb. 15, and winners will be announced
by both stations in April 2019.
— Julianne Cuba
We are the champions
Kings County runners scored big
at an East Coast track and fi eld conference
hosted by Pratt University on Jan.
8, with one high schooler taking home
gold in both the 55 and 200 meters. Brianna
White of Brooklyn placed fi rst
in the 55 meters with a time of 7.39,
edging out Bronx runner Rori Lowe,
who placed second at 7.41 seconds.
White also came in fi rst at the 200
meters in 25.61, beating out Junior
Olympic Champion Brianna Brown of
the Bronx, who placed second in 25.72.
And in the Elementary A Division,
Khloe Khan of PS 107 in Park Slope
dominated the 55 meters with a 9.09
seconds.
The Colgate Women’s Games features
runners ages 7 to 70 years old
from Georgia to Massachusetts, and
gives female athletes the opportunity
to compete and grow in a fun environment,
according to meet director
Cheryl Toussaint.
COURIER L 30 IFE, JAN. 18–24, 2019 M B G
“Our goal is to provide a fun,
friendly, yet competitive environment
where young participants can discover
their talent and harness their skills in
track and fi eld, while at the same time
fostering the importance of pursuit of
education,” said Toussaint. “The experience
of competing in a series affords
participants the opportunity to grow
from week to week, building self-esteem
and a sense of personal achievement
that will surely have a positive
impact on their lives.”
— Colin Mixson
SHEEPSHEAD BAY
Three cheers for Sheepshead
Bay students who collected more
than 2,700 pairs of socks to donate
to local homeless families for their
fourth annual sock drive.
Pupils from PS 255 and IS 234
received the 2,768 pairs of socks
over several months and collected
them at their E. 17th Street school
on Jan. 7 in partnership with local
Councilman Chaim Deutsch (DSheepshead
Bay).
The councilman’s offi ce will donate
the socks to homeless families
at the Bay Family Shelter at
Emmons Avenue and Coyle Street,
according to spokeswoman Tova
Chatzinoff-Rosenfeld.
Deutsch’s offi ce organized the
annual event together with teacher
Jaclyn Warner and the student
council.
And the local legislator
applauded all of the students’
generous efforts to help
neighborhood families in need.
“The students at PS 255 and IS
234 have worked extremely hard to
collect thousands of pairs of socks
for homeless families in our community.
I am very proud of the
great work they have done, and it
is my pleasure to continue the tradition
of partnering with them on
this endeavor for the fourth year
in a row,” Deutsch said, adding his
thanks to the kids’ adult role models
who helped make the drive possible.
“I commend the administrators,
teachers, and parents of PS
255, who have been role models
for these children, educating them
about the importance of helping
those less fortunate. I also want
to thank PS 255 Student Council
Facilitator Jaclyn Warner for her
leadership every year on this sock
drive,” he said.
Standing O also encourages the
kids to keep up the good work.
— Kevin Duggan
CONEY ISLAND
Menu goes green
Three cheers for NYC Health
+ Hospitals system for heeding
the call to offer more vegetarian
and vegan meal options for patients.
The health network launched
Meatless Mondays menu options
for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
at all 11 of its acute care medical
centers — including Coney
Island Hospital — on Jan. 14,
in an effort to provide a broader
range of healthy, appealing meal
options, and introduce the benefi
ts of plant-based nutrition to
inpatients to help them make important
lifestyle decisions to lead
their healthiest lives.
Borough President Adams,
an ardent advocate for plant-based
diets as a lifestyle approach to
positive health outcomes, called
on all hospitals to sign on to the
Meatless Monday pledge, an international
campaign focused on
improving the health of both individuals
and the planet.
The fi rst day the program was
available, around 1,500 patients
at the 11 hospitals opted for one of
the meatless selections, which included
black bean soup, spaghetti
and garden bolognese sauce,
three-bean chili, vegan beefl ess
strips, garden burger, and rice
and beans, according to the hospital.
“When staff came around to
explain the Meatless Monday
initiative to me, I thought it was
a great idea and something I
never thought of doing before,”
said 54-year-old Stephen Carroll,
a patient at Coney Island
Hospital. “I really liked the
three-bean chili, and it gave me
some new ideas for what to eat
when I get home.”
“We want to empower our patients
to live their healthiest lives
by introducing them to healthier
foods that they may choose once
they’re discharged,” said Dr.
Mitchell Katz, President and
Chief Executive Offi cer of NYC
Health + Hospitals. “The Meatless
Mondays initiative is consistent
with this mission to provide
intensive support for outpatients
who wish to adopt healthy lifestyle
changes.”
GROUP EFFORT: Councilman Chaim Deutsch, students, and teachers and administrators
from PS 255 and IS 234 collected more than 2,700 pairs of socks for their fourthannual
sock drive. Photo by Steve Solomonson
Keeping Brooklynites’ feet warm
/nbcuprojectinnovation.com