Clarkstown Central Athletic Foundation Initiative

The Clarkstown Central Athletic Foundation (CCAF) moved from an idea to reality when it recently received non-profit status from the IRS.

“We’re trying to cultivate an active healthy lifestyle for the kids,” said Chris Stolarski, one of CCAF’s four founding members.

Stolarski said CCAF was formed because concerned citizens understand the impact of the current economic times on the Clarkstown Central School District’s budget and possibly its athletic programs.

Stolarski serves as CCAF president with board members Anthony Dominik of West Nyack, Robert Alan Carlucci and Joe Malgieri of West Nyack. Carlucci and Malgieri are also Clarkstown Board of Education members. 

“We can certainly supplement the school district programs,” Stolarski said of the organization.

Their goal is to raise money from the community to purchase equipment, improve facilities and subsidize travel to out-of-district tournaments.

If the district has to make difficult financial decisions affecting athletics, Stolarski said, the foundation may be able to help. He said it is important to maintain and enhance current sports programs through donations of equipment for interscholastic varsity and junior varsity teams, after-school intramural programs and tax-exempt recreational programs. CCAF expects to receive requests from coaches and scholar-athletes.

Parent support will be critical. Stolarski said when there is a group of parents who are concerned about a specific athletic need they are extremely strong advocates and issues get resolved

“We work to support all athletics,” said Carlucci, noting the list includes dance, cheerleading, Frisbee, juggling as well as football, basketball and baseball. “I believe in the whole person. It’s not just academics, it’s athletics too.”

The foundation already selected its first project – raising money to purchase state-of-the-art helmets for the Clarkstown North High School football team. The foundation may work with a group of former Clarkstown students, whose organization raised money earlier this summer to purchase the helmets for the Clarkstown South squad. Stolarski of West Nyack said they will need to raise about $5,000 from the community through individual, matching and corporate donations.

CCAF is planning a community athletic day in May with Dr. Chris Serra, district director of physical education and aquatics. The daylong event would offer sports and field day activities for elementary through high school students such as tug-of-war and potato sack races.

“We’re going to try to have a real fun day of athletics for the kids in the middle and elementary schools,” explained Carlucci of New City “It’s going to be a family day not just for the athletes.”

They want to schedule the event so the North and South high school sports teams, which play at that time of year, can compete against each other.  They hope it will become an annual event alternating between the two high school campuses.

Contact CCAF for more information at: ClarkstownAthleticFoundation@gmail.com. The organization expects to have a website in the near future.