Local Experts Support Bonnie Brae Fundraiser

November 1 , 2010 Liberty Corner, NJ

Weeks spent in preparing homemade soups and handmade bowls will culminate on November 10 when the students at Bonnie Brae conduct a fundraising event to benefit Bridges Outreach of Summit. Bridges’ outreach includes over 1,500 volunteers delivering over 100,000 bagged brown lunches, 40,000 breakfast bags, literally tons of clothing and toiletries and other necessities each year. This year has been particularly taxing for those served by Bridges in Newark, Irvington and New York City.

The students of Bonnie Brae, a residential treatment center for boys, have been working with area artisans in hopes of helping those who struggle with hunger daily. Although the boys are in treatment to deal with their personal problems, they grow and change through multiple learning experiences. Bonnie Brae’s CEO, Bill Powers has long been a strong advocate in fostering the spirit of giving back. He personally accompanies the boys in such activities as the Bridges’ “runs” to deliver sandwiches, soup and basic necessities to those who live on the streets of New York.

Chef Brian Moscetti, owner of the Soup Shoppe in Riverwalk, Basking Ridge, and a graduate from Johnson & Wales University, will lend his expertise in creating two soups with the boys: one aptly named “Bonnie Brae Bisque” especially for this event. Assisting in the soup preparation will be Kathy Layman who teaches Activities for Daily Living classes in which the students learn basic living skills. Chef Brian and Mrs. Layman have been enthusiastically working in collaboration for several weeks for this special event.

Simon Benjamin Keller, along with Bonnie Brae’s Art teacher, Grace LaForge, will teach the boys a method of making ceramic bowls on and off the wheel. Keller, a Japanese-trained potter based in Fanwood, is the ceramic artist-in-residence at The duCret School of Art in Plainfield. He has extensive teaching experience with children and adults, both here and in Germany and Japan. He will share his knowledge in creating the bowls that are derived from ones used in the Japanese Tea Ceremony. The ceremony itself is connected to the spirit of togetherness.

The Bonnie Brae community, staff, students and board members will be invited to sit together to break bread and eat soup as a culmination of the efforts of the boys. Participants will receive a hand made bowl in exchange for a donation to Bridges Outreach, in support of their ongoing efforts all year round.

///


www.bonnie-brae.org

Bonnie Brae Tartan Classic

A perfect day for Golf!

The Bonnie Brae Tartan Golf Classic was held September 20th at the Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey. The weather provided a beautiful setting for a great day of golf, with 106 golfers turning out to support the efforts of the boys school in Liberty Corner. The famous Bonnie Brae Knights drummed the golfers to the first tee of the historic golf course.

The evening program featured an update of the school by CEO Bill Powers, a Live Auction, a raffle filled with great prizes and a wonderful dinner!

The next fundraising event will take place in February, where the school celebrates the 25th Anniversay Tartan Ball, to take place at the Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in Bedminster, NJ. For more information, call the Bonnie Brae Development office at (908) 647-4700.

Bonnie Brae Knights Travel to West Virginia

Two more, Powers. Okay. Big one, Powers. Don't worry about it, Greg. I am focusing on the two million details that need to be handled once we safely have the drummers in West Virginia. Greg, my co-pilot, is focusing on the bugs that are hitting the van's windshield. Use the wiper stuff, Powers. Relax, Greg. Another one, Powers. I use the windshield wiper fluid and wiper blades. Greg is thrilled. Now I can't see the road through the smeared windows.

Can I clean the windows when we stop at the gas station? Sure, Greg. Unfortunately there are unforeseen complications. Greg is short for his twelve years. The full-sized van is tall. Greg attacks the bug spattered windows with precision and enthusiasm. I soon have very clear squares on both sides of my front and rear windows. The front squares now give the van the appearance of having eyes. I laugh. Greg laughs. Another drummer volunteers to help. Taller. Longer arms. Unfortunately he is a bit of an artist. Brush strokes do not a clear window make. I laugh again. The squares will do.

The other excitement at the gas station is a line of volunteer drummers to help fill the vans with gas. In New Jersey you are not allowed to pump your own gas. In the states we are traveling through - Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia - you are required to pump your own gas. Almost all of the boys want to pump gas. Feeling just a bit like Tom Sawyer and the white washed fence I allow each to pump exactly three gallons. Some want a second turn. Should I charge?

Greg and the rest of the drummers are really not that concerned about windshield bugs or pumping gas. What they are concerned about is having a good relationship with Powers and the other staff on the trip. The boys thoroughly enjoy traveling; the further away from Bonnie Brae the better. Building relationships is the cornerstone of our work. Traveling together, particularly to new and "exotic" locations, forces staff and drummers to bond, to rely upon each other for mutual assistance.

We have almost no behavior problems on these long trips. Whether to Washington D.C., Florida, West Virginia, or Canada the boys often compete to be the most helpful. Guys who on our main campus seem only to be interested in helping themselves, suddenly become group helpers. Sometimes the help is humorous. All of the guys clearing the table so that one guy can be alone at the table with "his girl." Sometimes the help is heart-breaking. The one boy whose father taught him to fish helping the other boys who have no fathers.

On the road together we become more like a large extended family. Squabbles between family members are left at home. We support each other. Anyone silly enough to "mess" with one of our younger guys immediately realizes that the younger one has many older brothers to back him up. The boys thoroughly enjoy this sense of being protected, of being safe, of traveling with family. We rattle on to West Virginia.

The students at Bonnie Brae have been busy with trips, awards, and excitement over the past few weeks. On April 12, our Bonnie Brae Boy Scouts were invited to attend a 100 Year Anniversary celebration of the Boy Scouts, taking place on Ellis Island. Many of them had never visited the landmark, and it proved to be an exciting night. They joined many other troops to welcome the guests, lining a red carpet with other uniformed boy scouts and American Flags.

Our Bonnie Brae Knights Drum Corps also took a recent trip, down to West Virgina, to march in the annual Strawberry Festival. They enjoyed perfect weather, and a surprise, as they placed 2nd in the marching band competition. They proudly came home with a wonderful trophy and fun stories of their travels.

Recently, a special program on campus received state-wide recognition in Trenton. Our Brae Builders, who work with Habitat for Humanity, were given the 2010 Innovations in Special Education Award. While working side by side with Habitat for Humanity, students are paired with volunteer mentors. The program fosters confidence, develops vocational skills and equips students to handle the transition to the “real world.” The campus community was thrilled to hear of this recognition, and are so proud of all the Brae Builders.

A Basketball Diary

Today I went to my first Bonnie Brae Knights basketball game. It was probably the first basketball game I've been to since I was in high school. The air was buzzing with the same excitement that I remember from high school except, as our residents are all boys, there wasn't the same walking the bleachers game girls used to play to catch the boys' eyes. Flirting was out of the picture. It was all testosterone and pride because it was the 2009-2010 NJNCAA Championship game. Everyone was high on hopes.

The first quarter it felt like we might lose but I was staunchly positioned on the floor right near the free-throw line. I fully expected to get an elbow or ball right in the face a few times as they fought with all their might to keep the ball on their half of the court. But it seemed like all the boys of BB wanted to do was throw 3-point shots and miss terribly each time before #14, a short but fast and skilled kid, from the opposing team slung the ball back down to Tiger Territory.

It was a push-pull game. The other team, from a co-ed school, had cheerleaders (something I overheard Coach blithely warning the boys would cause him to break their nice shiny trophy if they caused a scene over). The girls cheered and their fans roared. Then the principal of the school came out with a massive sign on whiteboard proudly declaring that Bonnie Brae would be "bringing home the big trophy." She handed it to one of the more academic looking kids who ran back and forth in front of his peers and authority figures on the bleachers around me. Everyone cheered. We rivaled the cheerleaders and fans as the boys barreled through another 3 quarters.

Then it was down to 6 seconds on the clock. Knights - 39, Tigers - 38. Our team had gotten overzealous as the pressure rose, fouling a lot of those points onto the board for the Tigers. Two time-outs as the clock wound its way down. Each second a breathless hope that the boys who worked so hard to overcome the struggles life threw at them would have a victory.

#12 raced down toward my feet, the sideline is extremely narrow in our gym. My eyes must have been huge with intensity and fear that I might lose a toe or two. I was so preoccupied, and so was he with keeping the ball away from the scrappy opposing #14, that when the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the game I was knocked breathless by the shouting and cheering around me.

We won the championship. And for someone like me, who has so much work to do that time away from my desk can be pretty detrimental, it was well worth my time to be there. It was such a huge morale booster and for the second time since I started with this organization, we were all one family. Celebrating the success as one because we had all been part of it.

-- A Bonnie Brae Staff Member

Tartan Ball 2010

The 24th Annual Bonnie Brae Tartan Ball took place on February 6th 2010 at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park, New Jersey. It was touch and go with the weather, as a large snow storm was poised to hit the Garden State. To the delight of everyone, the storm passed to the south, leaving just a coating of snow in Morris and Somerset County. With 270 guests in attendance, the ball highlighted the accomplishments of the Bonnie Brae students over the past year. Former Governor Kean was the Honoree, and in his remarks, told the guests of the important work being done at facilities such as Bonnie Brae. The evening program also featured an alumni speaker, an auction and dancing.

The next Bonnie Brae event will be the famous Polo Classic, to take place in Pittstown, New Jersey on June 12th 2010. For information about Bonnie Brae events, email cphillips@bonnie-brae.org.