The Caroline Fries Endowment was established by a unanimous vote of the board of directors of the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation on April 24, 2009.

The fund is named after Caroline Fries, the beloved manager of the Barnstable High School girls varsity ice hockey team, who lost a courageous battle with a rare form of cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma on January 25, 2009 at the young age of 17. Much of Carolines life centered around the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Memorial Hockey Rink, the Barnstable Recreation Department, and Barnstable Youth Hockey Association, where she was a fixture in both figure skating and hockey. Carolines spirit and enduring smile is the inspiration for the establishment of this fund and her compassion for the youth of our community will be our guiding force for the distribution of funds to support the disadvantaged and at risk youth who so desperately need the safe haven of the Hyannis Youth & Community Center.

Fundraising, policy and fund disbursements will be guided by an advisory board comprised of members of the Fries family, the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation board of directors, and community leaders. The initial board includes Wes and Chris Fries, Carolines parents; Danielle Chaulk, Carolines aunt; E.J. Jaxtimer, President of the Barnstable Youth Hockey Association; Dave Chase, President of the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation board; and George Gillmore, Vice President of the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation board. The advisory board will make recommendations for disbursements periodically to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation board.

The goal of the Caroline Fries Endowment is to build the endowment to a $500,000 fund within five years and a $1 million endowment within 10 years. The principal would be invested by the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation and the income would be available annually for distribution beginning in 2010.

Donations to the Caroline Fries Endowment can be made by check to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation, PO Box 1051, Centerville, MA 02632. The Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation is a non-profit foundation established under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Service Regulations. Questions may be addressed to the Foundation at (508) 775-6799 or by contacting HYCC.

Photo courtesy of David Still II and the Barnstable Patriot.

Barnstable Youth Hockey Enthusiasts raise the $50,000 check presented to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center in January.

By David Still II
dstill@barnstablepatriot.com

photo courtesy Lynne Poyant RAY OF LIGHT Former Boston Bruins great Ray Bourque helped celebrate the opening of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Rink Saturday, where it was announced that another $1 million was donated for its replacement. Attending the ceremony (l-r) were Dr. Gail Lese, assistant town manager Paul Niedzwiecki, Sen. Therese Murray, David Chase, Banknorth board member John Drew, town council president Gary Brown, Ray Bourque and youth center foundation president Paul Lebel.

With another $1 million donation, fund-raising for the Hyannis Youth and Community Center is $1 million over its original $14 million goal, and thats all to the good, according to the organizations president.

The pledge was comes from the Lyndon Paul Lorusso Charitable Trust of 2002, a philanthropic organization formed by Paul and Lila Lorusso from the remaining assets Independence Park. For the donation, the entire ground floor of the center will be named for Lyndon P. Lorusso, the Lorussos son who died in a 1971 accident. It is the latest in a long line of large donations and namings for the Lorusso family, which has done much philanthropic in Lyndons name.

The announcement of the donation and naming was made by Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation chairman Paul Lebel just prior to the season opening at the rink on Saturday.

At this point weve raised about $15 million, said David Chase, president of the foundation.

Thats more than the original estimates for constructing and equipping the center called for. In the coming months, those numbers will be revisited as the final design work is completed.

The youth center got a significant boost last month with the passage of the states supplemental 2004 budget, which tapped more than $400 million in state surplus fund for new spending and projects. Included in that amount was $3.5 million for the non-town matching grant for the center, bringing the total to $14 million prior to the latest gift.

Chase said that the town and fund-raising group will have discussions about what to do with any excess funds. Options include the town simply not spending its full $9 million commitment, or perhaps putting it toward the establishment of an ongoing endowment for the centers operations and maintenance. Such an endowment has been discussed and is desired by the foundation, but talks with the town on those matters have yet to take place.

One thing that is certain, Chase said, is that the fund-raising effort has not ended.

Were not done raising money, Chase said. Those interested in making a donation or simply learning more about the youth center should log on to www.hyannisyouth.org.

The announcement came as part of the season opening for the skating rink, which featured a special appearance by former Boston Bruins captain Ray Bourque. His appearance was coordinated through Banknorth, for which the former Bruin serves as a spokesman. Banknorth is among the larger contributors to the youth center, providing a large enough donation to have the main lobby carry its name.

Bourque skated, provided a clinic and scrimmaged with four different groups as part of the afternoon, appropriately called An Afternoon with Ray Bourque.

Chase estimated that there were between 400 and 500 people in attendance.

The Center

If all goes according to plan, the current rink will be torn down in Spring 2006 and the new twin-rink facility, along with its large gymnasium and function room, will open its doors in the fall of that year.

While the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Skating Rink, built as an open arena in 1957 and covered in 1965, will cease to exist, Chase said that the name will remain in some fashion and will be associated with the new ice rinks. The exact details have not been worked out with the family. U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy assisted in the initial funding of the project, securing a $1 million U.S. Department of Education grant toward its construction.

There remain numerous other naming opportunities for the project, including name of the overall facility. According to the organizations Web site, www.hyannisyouth.org, that honor would require a gift of $2.5 million.

Other naming opportunities include the gymnasium ($250,000); computer room ($100,000); fitness/ballet studio ($50,000) and other small areas and fixtures.

Already taken are the cafe (Scudder Family/Hy-Line), the main lobby (Banknorth of Massachusetts), the function room (Tony Shepley/Shepley Wood Products), the rink lobby (Barnstable Youth Hockey Association), the game room (the Tracy family), and the home bench in the small rink (Puritan Cape Cod), among others.

David Still is the editor of the Barnstable Patriot. He welcomes your feedback.

By the time Governor Mitt Romney signed the supplemental 04 budget last Friday, the $3.5 million for the Hyannis Youth And Community Center was already assured.

The work by Cape legislators, with a big hand from Senate Ways and Means Chairman Therese Murray, helped the project avoid the swipe of Romneys veto pen and was even called out within Romneys comments to the press after the bill was finalized. The governor vetoed $76 million from the budget package approved by the House and Senate for a total supplemental spending package of $439 million.

The $3.5 million completes the non-town funding portion of the $14 million project, allowing it to proceed to the design and engineering stage. David Chase, president of the youth centers non-profit group, expects that bids for design work would go out this fall or winter, with plans set by next summer. Construction could begin after the 2005-06 skating season.

In addition to the $9 million commitment from the town is a $1 million federal Department of Education grant, secured through U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy. Release of the town funds was contingent upon a $4 million private match.

In an e-mail to supporters, Chase wrote, Given the time that has elapsed, rising steel prices, and rising interest rates, the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation will continue fundraising to cover these rising costs and to eventually begin building an endowment.

In the e-mail, Chase credited Murray, Rep. Demetrius Atsalis, Sen. Rob O Leary, Rep. Jeff Perry and even a couple of candidates in the November election. Larry Wheatley, running for state representative in the Fifth Barnstable District, and Dr. Gail Lese, running for Cape and islands state senator, were singled out for their support.

Palmer began running for health reasons, and his first event was the 10-mile Johnny Kelley Road Race held annually in Hyannis. The next milestone for the Cotuit resident was the New York marathon, where he finished in three hours, fifty minutes. While at the events, Palmer noted that many participants ran to raise funds for worthy causes. Having a daughter who figure skates and a son just starting in the Barnstable Youth Hockey Program, Palmer was aware of the plans for the new Hyannis Youth & Community Center.  Ive been dying for the new rinks to be built, he says, I thought Id see what I could raise to help out. Palmer has been encouraged by the positive response he has received, with generous contributions from family, friends and colleagues at Fleet Bank.  Fleet is matching the bank employeesfunds, Palmer adds with a smile, bringing the total to more than $3,000.00 so far.

Palmer is hoping that increased exposure of his efforts will encourage more contributions, which are still being accepted in his name (contact information below). The Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation is also working with Palmer to organize a Main Street Mile Fun Run to raise funds for the Foundation this October 9. Details will be available on the Foundations website.

In partnership with the Town of Barnstable, the Hyannis Youth and Community Center Foundation is conducting launched a capital campaign to raise the $14 million needed to build the Center. The Center will be built with a combination of Federal and private foundation grants, individual and corporate philanthropy, and bonds, which will be repaid from revenues. The operating budget of the facility will also be paid for out of revenues. Fundraising to date has generated $10.36 million of the $14 million projected cost. There are no plans for Town funds to be diverted to this project from other critical needs such as schools, roads and public safety.

This state of the art facility will provide much needed recreational and community services to the youth and residents of the Town of Barnstable. Design plans will include a youth center, gymnasium, two full size ice rinks, and all-purpose community meeting rooms. The facility will be constructed where the Kennedy Memorial Skating Rink currently stands, to better serve the large number of families with a high need for youth-related services in the immediate neighborhood. Financial status will not be a barrier to participation at the Center. Tax deductible donations should be made payable to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 1604, Hyannis, MA 02601. For more information, visit the web site at www.hyannisyouth.org or call (508) 775-6769.

Another local marathon runner, Fred Palmer, will be dedicating his performance in this year’s Boston Marathon to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center. Having children in Barnstable Recreation programs for many years, Palmer recognizes the need for a new Youth Center, and will be running this April 19 to help raise awareness for the Center’s fundraising campaign. To support Fred and the Youth Center, please send donations to Hyannis Youth & Community Center, Box 1604, Hyannis, MA 02601.

“We really appreciate these individuals stepping forward – literally – to help raise money for the Center”, comments HY&CC Foundation President Paul Lebel. “We’d love to see more runners involved and raising funds as the road race season takes off.”

In partnership with the Town of Barnstable, the Hyannis Youth and Community Center Foundation has launched a capital campaign to raise the $14 million needed to build the Center. The Center will be built with a combination of Federal and private foundation grants, individual and corporate philanthropy, and bonds, which will be repaid from revenues. The operating budget of the facility will also be paid for out of revenues. Fundraising to date has generated $10.36 million of the $14 million projected cost. There are no plans for Town funds to be diverted to this project from other critical needs such as schools, roads and public safety.

This state of the art facility will provide much needed recreational and community services to the youth and residents of the Town of Barnstable. Design plans will include a youth center, gymnasium, two full size ice rinks, and all-purpose community meeting rooms. The facility will be constructed where the Kennedy Memorial Skating Rink currently stands, to better serve the large number of families with a high need for youth-related services in the immediate neighborhood. Financial status will not be a barrier to participation at the Center.

Tax deductible donations should be made payable to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center Foundation and mailed to P.O. Box 1604, Hyannis, MA 02601. For more information, call (508)775-6769.