Association to Benefit Children (ABC)

ABC’s annual Thanks for Giving benefit happened last week at Bohemian National Hall. We held the first ever Junior Committee Cocktail Hour, and our children performed on stage for the first time since 2019. From the bustling, positive atmosphere created by our attendees, to the brilliant performance of our auctioneer Rachael White and Ed Levine, Thanks for Giving 2024 was truly a magical moment for us all. Overall, we’ve raised over half a million dollars to continue delivering the highest quality support to the children and families of New York City. Find out more here: https://buff.ly/3On4KhC

In honor of National Career Development Month, we interviewed some of the children at Cassidy’s Place about what they want to do when they grow up. Check out this future doctor with BIG dreams, including having 1000 kids and a mansion. He might also have a career as a professional dancer! You can find out about how to start your career at You can find out about how to start your career at ABC at buff.ly/3Zdtpf8

Recently, children and their families from Youth Services participated in a cooking demo organized by GrowNYC, as part of a series of demonstrations called ‘Affordable Eats.’ GrowNYC’s demonstrations address the concerns of those who are working to feed their families healthy meals while on a fixed budget. A major thank you to GrowNYC for giving our families an idea of healthy and affordable options to cook!

At the end of October, the Graham School roof and gym were once again transformed into an ABC pumpkin patch. During this autumnal home-based socialization event, families were able to pick a pumpkin and take pictures in the pumpkin patch, before engaging in sensory activities such as washing, decorating, and carving their pumpkins. They also discussed pumpkin recipes, sang songs, and ended the socialization with a delicious meal.

Join us in congratulating ABC’s New York City marathon finishers! Samantha O'Donoghue, Katherine Nguyen, Regine Aguilar, Christine Legge, India Bulkeley and Clay Broussard all represented ABC last Sunday, and raised over $20,000 in the process. Our team this year included current and former staff, volunteers, and Gold Star Givers. We are so proud of them all, and you should be, too!

In honor of voting season and today’s election, the Tadpole Room at the Graham School held their own voting activity. The polling decision was for the name of their plant—Pete or Salad. Our children did an excellent job at exercising their right to vote, and it was a tight race with Pete the plant as the winner. If you haven’t already, remember to go out and vote today if you can. Exercise your right to vote for what you believe in just like the Tadpole Room!

If you thought that only the children dressed up for Halloween, you were wrong. In fact, the council of Gretchen(s) appeared... on the one Halloween where Gretchen didn’t dress up as a bear!

Our little trick-or-treaters are having an amazing Halloween! ?? Each classroom at Cassidy’s chose a different theme: we had Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle, adorable monsters, Bluey characters, and Little Bo Peep’s flock of sheep. The kids paraded around the Upper East Side in costume with their teachers and parents and ended their tour at Carl Schurz Park. There, they went trick or treating and collected toys and healthy snacks in home-made bags!

“I first started supporting ABC during the pandemic when I was looking for an organization that aligned with my values. It was good to feel like I was making a difference when the world felt scary and hopeless. I was looking for an educational organization that took a holistic approach and ABC was the perfect fit. They are always looking at the root of the problem to try and drive change. Seeing everything that ABC was doing and the impact my donations were having was so exciting. I started running a year ago to do more cardio. My New Year’s Resolution was to run 12km per week. I have been living in New York for a while and will probably be leaving next year, so running the marathon seemed like a great way to see the city and support ABC. The reason I am still motivated to train and not get injured is because I am raising money for a cause I am so passionate about. I want to make it to the start line for ABC!” Christine Legge is running the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon for ABC and is a Gold Star Giver.

“I was looking for charities to run the marathon with and it was such a nice surprise to see ABC on the list. I wanted to run for an organization that I felt connected to and ABC was exactly that because I used to volunteer at Cassidy’s Place. Every time I volunteered, it was such a moving experience. With my previous employer, I took part in a book fair, holiday gifts, and the Thanks for Giving benefit. I remember at Thanks for Giving, we were all seated and then suddenly, the kids walked out on stage and sang. When you see who you’re raising money for, it is a beautiful moment. I was sitting there crying! Being an aunt now, I see the joy my nephew gets from even the small things. It puts everything into perspective. It’s nice to be able to make a little dream come true, and I’m so grateful I could do that as a volunteer and now as a marathon runner for ABC.” Regine Aguilar is running the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon for ABC.