The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Carol Montana

SMALLWOOD, NY (December 27, 2010) – Sometime around the middle of November, Lillian Hendrickson, Executive Director of Sullivan County CASA (SC CASA) wrote to Paul Ciliberto, New York Regional Manager for radio station Thunder 102.

Hendrickson, told Ciliberto that SC CASA was in financial trouble. “We can’t get funding from the state anymore,” said Hendrickson (center in photo left). “We’re supported from the unified court system only now. Senator Bonacic and Assemblywoman Gunther can’t get the funding anymore because the state is in so much trouble.”

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, an organization that advocates for children in Family Court, children who are abused and neglected, children under guardianship or children that are at risk for going to foster homes.

And so, on Wednesday, December 22, an event was held at Friends Restaurant and Pub in Smallwood to help raise funds for SC CASA. Not coincidentally, there was a special on CBS-TV the same evening called “Home for the Holidays,” which featured, among other performers, country music artist Jimmy Wayne (photo right, provided) who knows a thing or two about foster care. Having been abandoned at a bus station when he was 13 years old, and having been shuffled through 12 schools and nine foster placements, Wayne finally met Russell and Bea Costner. The couple was in their 70s when they opened their hearts and home to Wayne who was homeless at the time.

As a way of giving back, Wayne started his Meet Me Halfway project and on January 1, 2010 set out on a 1,660 mile hike from Tennessee to Phoenix to raise awareness about homeless children and, more specifically, about children who age out of the foster-care system. He eventually aims to walk across the whole country.

Wayne performed at Monticello Raceway as part of 5th Annual ThunderBash on May 8, 2010. And now, a large crowd gathered at Friends to see the 12th Annual Home for the Holidays special, watch Wayne perform and raise money for CASA through donations, raffles, and photos by Jeff Siegel of the Spencer Daniels Agency (photo left).

A heartfelt donation was brought in by Dakota Born, a young lady from Livingston Manor who went Christmas caroling with her family in Claryville. “We explained what we were caroling for and people donated,” said Born who presented $45.

Throughout the night, Santa’s elves sold raffle tickets and accepted donations on behalf of CASA. Thunder 102 radio personalities Ciliberto, Michelle Semerano (photo above left) and Mike Sakell (photo below with his wife Sue), drew the winning numbers and handed out prizes donated by local businesses and individuals.

Hendrickson said the money collected will be used to train volunteers. “Every bit of money stays in Sullivan County,” said Hendrickson. “Volunteers go to the children’s home, they advocate for the children, try to find a family member to take them in, or advocate for them to be in a safe home. Children fall through the cracks. We have much more time to investigate than social workers. We can go to more places because we’re volunteers. I can go to Orange County and Pennsylvania, a social worker can’t.” Board of Elections Commissioner Faith Kaplan was also in attendance. She was a CASA volunteer for 11 years before becoming a board member, which is also a volunteer position.

After all the raffle money and donations had been tallied, and after a $100 donation from Jim DiCarlo, the owner of Friends (in photo at right with elf Dave Dunlap from Hilltop Homes), over $500 had been raised for SC CASA.

“They say you can save one child, but you can’t save them all. I want to save them all,” said Jimmy Wayne during his Home for the Holidays performance. Based on the enthusiasm at Friends, the attendees wanted to “save them all,” too.