In memory of Judith DeBaise:
With our deepest condolences....
-The Reiter Family - Jackie, Bari, Gabriel & Jared 

In memory of Blanche Weinberg:
In memory of Blanche and her years of service to the Staten Island JCC.
​-Lisa Solomon

This June, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host the Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics (BVSO).

The annual event, which brings together hundreds of Staten Island seniors, will take place from June 11 through June 15 at various locations across the borough.

In addition to traditional Senior Olympics events like pickleball, Predict-A-Pace, basketball shooting competitions, tennis, swimming, bowling, cornhole, horseshoes, and croquet, the BVSO also features unique events designed to appeal to a wide array of seniors. These events include challenges like darts, canasta, Mah-Jongg, pinochle, pocket pool, and more. The JCC is also excited to add new events to the lineup, such as ballroom dancing.

The BVSO will conclude with a closing ceremony and brunch on June 16 at 11am at the Bernikow JCC, located at 1466 Manor Road.

After taking place virtually during the height of the pandemic, the BVSO resumed in-person operations last year.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “One of our priorities here at the JCC is empowering seniors to stay active and engaged—physically, mentally, and socially. The Senior Olympics is one of our favorite traditions because it gives us a special opportunity carry on Bea Victor’s legacy by celebrating our older adults.”

The BVSO is named for Beatrice Victor, a community leader who founded the Senior Olympics in 1987. Victor continued to direct the program for 20 years and was involved with the event until her passing. 

On Sunday, June 4, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island hosted its annual SunriseWALKS fundraiser benefiting the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, a free camp for children with cancer and their siblings.

SunriseWALKS took place at Staten Island University Hospital “Community Park,” home of the Staten Island FerryHawks.

Before walking the bases in support of Sunrise campers, families enjoyed a fun-filled morning with carnival games, face painting, music, and more.

There were special performances by LA Dance, the SI Dance and Arts Center, and the JCC’s Cornerstone Hip Hop Crew and Royal Rebels step team. Students from Staten Island Academy, Susan E. Wagner High School, and Tottenville High School also participated.

SunriseWALKS is the JCC’s largest fundraiser for the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island. The walk is the culmination of a months-long fundraising campaign that also includes community outreach and several “Li’l SunriseWALKS” conducted at schools including the JCC’s preschool locations and Staten Island Hebrew Public Charter School. 

Operated by the JCC, Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is the only day camp of its kind in New York City. The camp welcomes over 140 children from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and nearby New Jersey to its location on the campus of Staten Island Academy each summer.

Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is a proud member of the Sunrise Association, whose mission is to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “Our Sunrise campers have been through so much, but from the moment they step off the bus at Sunrise Day Camp, they are smiling, laughing, playing games, and singing songs together. When you walk with us at SunriseWALKS, you are making an incredible impact on the lives of children with cancer and their families right here in our community.” 

Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Sunrise Day Camp is offered completely free of charge.