More Good Things Happen at Belmont

Monday, June 07, 2010

Leonardo Lopez

The end of a great first year  of the New York Youth Program in honor of Belmont Stakes winning filly Rags to Riches was celebrated at Belmont Sunday night.  Congratulations to Lillian Lozano, Mercedez Hernandez, Sinaed Gutierrez, Abel Garcia, Erika Pacheco, Fernando Hernandez, Leonardo Lopez and Katherine Santos and thank you to all of their parents for supporting their children's participation in this program. 

The program a joint effort between The Race For Education and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy provides after school opportunities for study hall and extra-curricular activities both educational and fun.   The group meets at Anna's House on the back-side of Belmont Race Track and Elmont Memorial Library. 

Fernando Hernandez and Chaplain Humberto

Families and volunteers were treated to a dinner hosted by program coordinator Omar Aracena and his wife Becky. Each student received a certificate, presented by RFE Executive Director, Elisabeth Jensen and a reward based on points they received for participation.  Mercedez Hernandez, Fernando Hernandez and Erika Pacheco, the students that earned the most points received a Barnes and Noble Nook reader to download books on line and read them on the hand held device. Special activites will continue over the summer with a schedule of field trips and projects.   The regular program will reconvene in September with a "Welcome to the 7th Grade" orientation.