Why?

large view Joanne Hartman with grandson Hayden Hartman 2006 Ugly Man John Fitzsimmons with his first wife Kimberly, October 2000 large view Wilson Commencement Park large view Wilson Commencement Park large view http://www.equicenterny.org

Charitable Cause

There is much more to the Ten Ugly Men Event than just the music, food and sports.  Ten Ugly Men is about a sense of community, caring, and helping others. Our mission is two-fold: provide the participants of our annual festival with a great time, including fantastic foods, incredible bands and sporting activities that anyone can get involved with. Our second, is to raise money for charities located in Rochester, NY.

Ten Ugly Men is a 501(c)(3) organization throughout our history, 100% of all funds raised (after subsidizing the portion of the event which is not donated) have been given to a local charity. This amounts to over $1,100,000.00. Last years festival reached a record figure of over $1,300,000.

If you cannot make our annual festival you can still donate to our organization:

This years beneficiaries are the St Marys Oncology Center, Bright Eyes Fund for pediatric brain tumor treatment at Golisano Children's Hospital, Wilson Commencement Park, Boys and Girls Cub of America and Equicenter.

St Marys Oncology Center

The state-of-the-art facility brings together medical oncology and radiation oncology services, and the supporting services of the Regional Blood Center and Pavilion Imaging.  Part of this years proceeds will be donated in memory of Joanne Hartman.  Joanne is the mother of Ten Ugly Men founder Michael Hartman.  Joanne was diagnosed with Myledysplasia in 2005 and succumbed to the disease on January 16, 2008.  She was an active volunteer at the Ten Ugly Men event over the past 18 years and she will be greatly missed.

St. Mary's cancer care professionals include:

• Board-certified medical oncologists
• Board-certified radiation oncologists
• Certified oncology nurses
• Certified radiation therapists
• Certified radiation physicists/dosimetrists, and
• Certified oncology pharmacists

In addition, the center provides social work services, clinical nutrition, rehabilitation, and spiritual support.

Bright Eyes Fund for pediatric brain tumor treatment at Golisano Children's Hospital

The Bright Eyes Fund for pediatric brain tumor treatment at Golisano Children's Hospital is the co-beneficiary of this year's Ten Ugly Men Festival. Funds raised from the party will benefit the Bright Eyes Fund in memory of Kim Fitzsimmons, the first wife of "Ugly Man" John Fitzsimmons, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor on May 7th, 2000, two hours after giving birth to daughter Nikole. Despite aggressive radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and an experimental clinical trial at Duke University, Kim lost her battle on February 23rd, 2003 at age 35. Malignant brain tumors are almost always fatal. Despite breakthroughs in treatment of other cancers, therapy for brain tumors has remained largely unchanged over the last 20 years. Further, they are the leading cause of cancer deaths in children. It was Kim's wish to broaden the scope of brain tumor research and treatment options here in Rochester,so local patients would not have to travel great distances to receive the latest treatments and experimental therapies. And because they are one of the most difficult cancers to treat, research advances can often be applied to other cancers, and shared between institutions across the nation. The purpose of Bright Eyes is to improve the lives of children with brain tumors and their families throughout their treatment and beyond, by helping families in their daily struggles as their children undergo treatment, and by funding new approaches to treatment. The Fund has been used to help families purchase medicine and/or equipment not covered by insurance companies, and to pay for tutoring not covered by school systems. It has covered registration fees for parents to attend conferences on brain tumors. The Fund is also used to support continuing medical education for the Brain Tumor Clinic staff through access to the latest medical journals and other sources of new information on brain tumors. It is also used to support research projects involving children with brain tumors. Such projects include new treatments and new approaches to supportive care.

Wilson Commencement Park

Wilson Commencement Park (WCP) is a transitional housing and support services program.  Located on Joseph Avenue in an area Rochester, New York, known as “The Crescent”, Wilson Commencement Park provides comprehensive, quality resources and services to low-income, single parents and their children so that they can improve their family stability, increase their economic independence, and strengthen the community.

 

Since its opening in 1991, Wilson Commencement Park has grown from a community-based program serving 50 resident families to one that now serves over 600 resident and community families annually. 

 

When single parents find themselves homeless or escaping from a domestic violence situation, Wilson Commencement Park (WCP) empowers them to redirect their lives.  Upon acceptance into the program, residents of Wilson Commencement Park (WCP), enter a comprehensive program – not just housing. 

 

Housing

The housing program provides 50 two and three bedroom townhouses for single parent families, who may reside at the Park for up to two years.

 

Support Services

WCP’s Family Support Services requires residents to work full time, attend school full time, or work and go to school, as well as pay rent, meet with their family life coach at least twice a month and attend town meetings.  They must also attend a minimum of 24 life skills programs annually focused on parenting, financial independence, housing mobility, child development, employment, stress management and nutrition.  They are held accountable for following all program requirements and policies.  Each resident’s family life coach helps him/her develop an Individual Program Plan - a road map for achieving improved financial stability, family wellness, and next-step housing.  Each plan is customized to meet the individual’s unique needs.  WCP provides a stable environment where residents can deal with deep-rooted issues with the support of a family life coach.  The program empowers residents to set and achieve personal goals while developing healthy, supportive relationships with their family and within the community.

 

Early Learning

While the residents and families in the surrounding community are working and attending classes, their children participate in WCP’s accredited early learning program.  WCP’s Early Learning Center enriches children’s lives and helps break the vicious cycle of poverty and despair.  Our on-site childcare program, the Early Learning Center, offers an innovative 12 month curriculum, is accredited by the National Association for Education of Young Children and is a Universal Pre-K facility.

Wilson Commencement Park’s philosophy embodies the fundamental values of work, personal responsibility and community.  Wilson Commencement Park believes that dignity and self-esteem arise from working and supporting one’s family.  The WCP mission is fulfilled each time a family becomes self-sufficient, saving public dollars from being expended on future welfare and other government assistance programs and restoring the pride that results from becoming economically independent and socially confident.

 

Wilson Commencement Park has been selected three times for national recognition in the Enterprise Foundation’s “Beyond Housing” as one of the top-performing service-enriched housing programs in the US worthy of replication and The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI) has recognized WCP as one of the three top performing “transformational” housing programs in the country.  In addition, Wilson Commencement Park received the 2006 Metropolitan Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing.

 

Equicenter

 

The EquiCenter is a non-profit center that uses a wide range of equine therapeutic activities to foster the personal growth and individual achievement of people with disabilities and at-risk youth.

 

Our current programs include Therapeutic Riding, Vaulting, Hippotherapy and Horsemanship (Equine-Facilitated Mental Health). Future plans include the addition of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Carriage Driving, and Canine- Assisted Therapy. Our new Hippotherapy Program utilizes the multidimensional movement of the horse to provide a unique and motivating physical therapy. These sessions are taught by licensed therapists who are also certified by the American Hippotherapy Association. Riders in our Therapeutic Riding and Vaulting Programs participate in structured classes to acquire horsemanship skills while developing flexibility, motor skills, balance, muscle coordination, strength, and increased self-esteem and confidence. Participants in our Horsemanship Program learn experientially by working directly with horses. In this non-riding program, individuals develop personal responsibility, relationship and communication skills, an appreciation for teamwork, self-discipline, and trust. Through their activities, participants develop a sense of purpose as they help care for horses that are in turn caring for individuals with disabilities.

 

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is the leader in setting the agenda for type 1 diabetes research worldwide, and is the world’s largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research that accelerates the discovery and development of therapeutics and devices and their delivery to people at all stages of type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes children and adults suddenly, but lasts a lifetime. It requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, amputation, and pregnancy complications.