Paul Savramis has been using basketball to teach children about life skills for over 30 years.
During that time he has had both ample time and opportunity to witness the many ways this
simple game can transform lives.

Basketball as a sport in itself, and especially when played on a team working with others in a
structured and positive environment, has many benefits. These benefits help a child’s development and make life’s lessons easier to adapt into that development but the one benefit Savramis wants to see more of is when those lessons come prepackaged with potential travel opportunities.

Q: What makes Rising Stars Youth Foundation so special?

Paul Savramis: There are many things, and possibly too many to list here. But one thing that
comes to mind at the moment is simply how grouping kids together for a common goal – in this
case, a basketball goal – changes lives. Many of the students receive scholarships for
academics and others are the first in their family history to attend a college but the opportunity
to travel, see the world outside the environment of a block or a avenue is something they may
not do ever be able to do otherwise.

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2018 saw unprecedented growth for Paul Savramis and his nonprofit organization Rising Stars Youth Foundation. Savramis explains that just one year ago Rising Stars had a single outreach program, which was hosted at the Great South Bay YMCA. Today, Rising Stars has six boys teams and two girls teams for student athletes between fourth and eighth grade.

Q: What has contributed to such growth?

Paul Savramis: Rising Stars has enjoyed tremendous success over the last three decades. We have proven that giving children a positive outlet and somewhere they can be constructive is one of the best ways to keep them off the street and in school. Our exceptional leadership team has done an amazing job of working with local YMCAs and community centers to offer our afterschool programs and summer camps to students in need.

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Paul Savramis, Art Inspired by Mothers Internationally Acclaimed Talent. Paul Savramis may be the founder of the Rising Stars Youth Foundations Basketball and Educational Platforms, but he is also the creative brains behind the non-profit marketing materials, logos and shirt designs.

In this follow up posting, Paul Savramis gets into more detail on how the addition of new RSYF directors of education, overall operations and a good right arm as his executive have given him the chance to be creative and pay homage to his late mother’s memory.

Having the luxury of some extra time and much less pressure at work day to day have allowed Savramis to revisit his early passions and do some artwork “on the side.”  

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Early training, and avid interest in art remain as a driving force in the life and work of Rising Stars Youth Foundation Founder and President Paul Savramis.

The demands and rigors of day to day may have changed somewhat for Rising Stars Youth Foundation Founder Paul Savramis but they certainly have not lessened.

We caught up with Paul at a recent Rising Stars event and the topic he wanted to discuss surprised us. Savramis was talking about creating new shirts, brochures, and website designs and how art, marketing, and design continue to play a big part of his daily life. “I can’t slow down, nor do I ever want to”, Savramis shared. “Purpose is everything! The day is totally different for me when it starts with a challenge or the prospect of a new project.”

Savramis continued, “Having Danny (RSYF Executive Director) taking on the mundane day-to-day foundation work is a godsend! Dan is amazing in the way he has put together an infrastructure staff that takes care of every aspect of the foundation. We now have directors of basketball operations for boys and girls, educational specialists, and a full complement of departmental expertise that allows me to do what I love best- At my pace and my time frame.”

That love is to continue to serve as RSYF ambassador and President but to also now look at outreach and new program development. That effort alone has more than tripled new RSYF initiatives over the past two years and created a valuable pipeline for Rising Stars core and fundamental purpose- To Promote Education.       Continue reading →

Paul 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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On 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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