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.

Throughout the Ten Ugly Men Festival's 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.

This years beneficiaries are the the 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

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.