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2018 Rising Stars Youth Foundation Gala an Event to Remember, says Paul Savramis

Paul Savramis Gala Dinner 2018In 1996, Paul Savramis founded the Rising Stars Youth Foundation with one goal: To provide every child with an equal opportunity for success in life and to be their best. That was more than three decades ago. Today, his simple formula of utilizing a basketball program to reach and teach has morphed into a lifestyle for hundreds of boys and girls. Each year, RSYF hosts an annual dinner to honor these students and recognize the men, women, and businesses that help to make Rising Stars’ programs possible.

For the past seven years, the Gala has been hosted at the New York Athletic Club on Central Park. 2018 continued this tradition and introduced the most recent Man of the Year, Mr. Joe Feshbach. Mr. Feshbach joined an impressive fraternity of past men of the year. They include

MidOcean Partner CEO Ten Virtue, Mr. Thomas J. Quinlan, III, Chairman, President and CEO of LSC Communications, Mark Clouse, CEO Pinnacle Foods, Seth Waugh, Former CEO of Deutsche Bank, and Goldman Sachs director of Alumni Mike Troy. All of these men have been honored for their belief and support of Rising Stars programs, but Mr. Feshbach was the first to have gone through the foundation with his son Josh from grades three through graduation of college (Brown University). His moving speech and personal perspective brought a special meaning and awareness to the event.

The Gala, which raises awareness of RSYF’s good work, is always a sold-out event and features Master of Ceremonies, Jay Williams. Williams is a former NBA pro and ESPN personality that is also an alumni of Rising Stars. Paul Savramis explains that Williams and his family have always been supportive of the program and like Mr. Feshbach have had the added perspective of being a part of the program since Jay was in 5th grade. But as Paul Savramis is quick to point out, the real stars of the event are always the kids.

In addition to honoring the Man of the Year and getting to enjoy Mr. William’s commentary throughout the evening, guests of the Gala get to see first-hand the impact RSYF has on their community through the stories, speeches, and testimonials of the actual RSYF kids and parents.

Paul Savramis explains that the Gala kicks off scholarship season, where deserving students are given the chance to attend one of the area’s best high schools to receive a needed private education. These kids, who have all shown academic prowess, community involvement, and athletic skill, are tomorrow’s leaders and role models for their brothers, sisters, and classmates today.

The Gala is not simply about financial assistance, says Paul Savramis. It helps to provide hope for some of NY’s most vulnerable adolescents.

For more information about RSYF, visit RisingStarsYouthFoundation.com.

Rising Stars 2018 Gala Video

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Paul Savramis: Rising Stars Youth Foundations Community Service Updates, March 2018

Paul SavramisMarch was a busy month for RSYF student athletes, says organization founder Paul Savramis. Here, Savramis offers updates on one of the most heartwarming service projects of the year.

Q: What event did student athletes participate in on March 25?

Paul Savramis: On March 25th, several of our Rising Stars students spent the day prepping meals for 80 families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, a charity that provides no-cost accommodations for families of terminally ill children. The Meals from the Heart Program was designed to offer a moment of respite for weary moms, dads, and siblings.

Q: Why are events like this important for students in the Rising Stars Youth Foundation program?

Paul Savramis: At RSYF, we put athletics second. The greater good of our community is always first. Service projects such as this offer our teens the opportunity to give back and to learn about the people of their community. It’s a way to teach responsibility and good stewardship.

Paul SavramisQ: What are the guidelines for the Meals from the Heart Program?

Paul Savramis: Participants must be at least 16 years of age. Groups are limited to no more than 12 people, making this an intimate and endearing project for the students who have the opportunity to serve. Each group gets to plan their own menu and prepare the food themselves meaning this is also an opportunity to brush up on or learn a valuable life skill: cooking.

Q: Can you offer any general information on the New Hyde Park Ronald McDonald House?

Paul Savramis: The RMH serves families of children staying in long-term care at the Cohen’s Children’s Hospital. Many of the families arrive after receiving a sudden and devastating medical diagnosis, often cancer. The home sits on the hospital campus and has offered accommodations for more than 30,000 families since opening in 1986.

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Paul Savramis 2018 Meet and Greet for Rising Stars

Paul SavramisPaul Savramis, founder of Rising Stars Youth Foundation, recently hosted the non-profit’s 2018 Meet and Greet for Rising Stars student athletes at Adelphi University. Savramis explained what this annual event entails and how Rising Stars scholarships have a lasting impact on the students, their families, and the community.

Q: What is the purpose of the Meet and Greet event?

Paul Savramis: The Meet and Greet is a yearly event that introduces the Rising Stars Scholarship recipients to the members of the board. It is a chance for these students and their families to meet the men and women behind the scenes of Rising Stars and for our benefactors to meet firsthand the lives they have touched through their generosity.

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Q&A with Paul Savramis | Beautiful Me Workshop

Paul SavramisOn a cold January night in New York, more than a dozen girls came together in a cell phone-free zone to talk about something important: each other. Paul Savramis, Rising Stars Youth Foundation founder, shares info on the Beautiful Me workshop in the following brief Q&A.

Q: What is Beautiful Me?

Paul Savramis: Beautiful Me is a self-esteem workshop we put on regularly for the girls in our youth programs. Essentially, it is a night that allows our girls’ teams to interact with each other and learn to appreciate their teammates’ positive qualities beyond the free throw.

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Rising Stars Youth Foundation Founder Paul Savramis Announces Website Launch

In early 2018, Rising Stars made an important change to its website and overall future outlook.. Here, Rising Stars Founder and President Paul Savramis explains the launch of Rising Stars Youth Foundation.com. and the organizations “new” look.

Q: What does the addition of the term “Youth Foundation” mean for Rising Stars?

Paul Savramis: Our title as Rising Stars Inc. never truly defined the scope of our work nor was it a clear presentation of what we were. There were not many Rising Stars in 1996 and we were the only ones associated with youth sports and education. As the years past many others began using the name in one form or another and it began to really get confusing.

We actually developed a site “About Rising Stars Inc.” that helped to separate and better describe our identity and the two working models ..athletics and academics that were at the core of Rising Stars..

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Paul Savramis and Rising Stars Host College Night

September was a busy month for parents, teachers, and students getting back into the swing of things for the 2017/2018 school year. Paul Savramis, founder of Rising Stars, reports that despite tedious schedules, there was a full house at the organization’s recent college night. Savramis offers a few details below.

Q: What was the main topic of discussion at the event?

Paul Savramis: Pinnacle Consultants, the group that led our seminar, focused on applications for college. Many hopeful college students and their families find that process confusing or have trouble understanding what documents are required. Pinnacle walked them through the admissions process, thereby giving our student athletes the confidence (and tools) to move forward.

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Paul Savramis Opens Up About Rising Stars’ Recent Volunteer Project

Paul SavramisRecently a handful of Rising Star student athletes spent the evening volunteering with New York’s Homeless Bus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing food and other basic necessities for the area’s homeless population. Rising Star’s founder Paul Savramis says having the opportunity to see the long lines of men, women, and children waiting for food and supplies was a meaningful experience to the young volunteers.

Q: What is the Homeless Bus?

Paul Savramis: The Homeless Bus was founded in 1992 by Director Mark Landgrebe and his wife Anna after the couple attended a seminar that introduce them to a program in Hawaii that fed homeless people during the holidays. Today, the Homeless Bus serves a warm meal and provides essentials such as socks and personal sized toiletries to New York City’s homeless population.

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Paul Savramis Announces Rising Stars Partnership with Open Season Basketball

20170321_093608Rising Stars founder and President Paul Savramis, recently announced that Open Season a grassroots program from the Great South Bay area of Long Island will soon become a part of the Rising Stars’ family.

According to Paul Savramis, this is just one of three recent community outreach programs initiated by Rising Stars. The Great South Bay of Long Island has seen an increase in the number of youth searching for basketball program in recent years. Paul Savramis believes a partnership between Open Season and Rising Stars will not only help to fill this need it will also create awareness in providing families from the area additional information of safe and nurturing environments available to them.

Paul Savramis reports that Rising Stars has seen great success from outreach programs over the past 12 months, including sponsorship of the Alzheimer’s Basketball Classic and the Academic+ program at the Great South Bay YMCA. Continue reading →

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Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis applauds Carmelo Anthony as being an Inspiration to Young Lives

Paul SavramisDecember 19, 2016

Carmelo Anthony and his namesake nonprofit organization recently rewarded 200 local children with an amazing night of friendship and fun. Rising Stars Founder and President Paul Savramis reported that a half dozen Rising Stars student athletes were among the lucky attendees.

“ We are proud to see our program represented and equally proud to see these kids recognized for what they are doing “ said Savramis.

Savramis added,”There is never a shortage of reports on the negatives surrounding sports and athletes so it’ a refreshing change of pace to see a focus placed on oft the many positives that are there as well.”

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Rising Stars Founder Paul Savramis talks about 20 years of Gratitude

Paul SavramisRising Stars Founder Paul Savramis says his organization is much more than basketball; and for that, he is grateful. In this short discussion, Savramis talks about what gratitude and the act of giving means to the boys and girls who have been a part of this amazing program over the past 20 years.

Q: Over the past 20 years Rising Stars has worked with a largely underserved clientele. How do you demonstrate to these children that they have something to be thankful for?

Paul Savramis: We all have something that we can focus on to help put us in good spirits. For many of our student athletes, it’s having someone that cares enough to shuttle them from game to game. I like to help each child look back at where they began as an athlete, watch them realize how far they’ve come, and demonstrate to them how far they can go. It goes to show that no matter where they started, they have the power to advance themselves, and that is something to be grateful for.

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