Rock The Boat Basin Weather Report

If you don't yet have your Rock the Boat Basin ticket, you'll need one to join in on GOTO's bash tonight. But you won't need your galoshes.

Tonight's weather report looks fantastic. So enjoy your one-day thunderstorm reprieve by enjoying an adult beverage outdoors and helping us send some more kids to camp.

Advanced ticket sales end at 3pm today.

$75 tickets will be available at the door.

And the party starts at 8.

Hope to see you there ...

Notes From A Camper: Crystal '09

Crystal - a 1st time GOTO NY Scholar - just returned home from Appel Farm on Sunday and she couldn't wait to share her experiences with (and to thank) the GOTO faithful. Here's what she had to say ...

Thanks for the scholarship I'm really grateful for that! I had a blast making new friends and performing for everybody! I felt accepted by the first to the second night. Everyone is awesome over there! As you should know i went on the first session June 26- July 24.

My major was voice, my minors were piano and swimming and I had a great time doing it all. In my major I learned a lot of songs and I had fun, my performance in swimming has improved and in piano I learned a lot, a lot!

It was very hard to say goodbye. Everybody was crying I felt very sad but I just couldn't cry, but it's okay at least I get to keep in touch with my friends! I'll name some of my friends: Aron, Sarah, Ella, Audrey, Alyssa, Clare, Glendon, Christian, Josh, Josh P., Josh C., Marco, Jonathan, Brett, Aloria, Sammy, Cyan, Emma, Ahmira, Theresa, Alex, Dana, Jasmine, Maysa, Marialle, Sean, Tommy, Kyle, Katy, Shannon, Peter, Anna, Natalia, etc.

Again thanks for providing me with this great experience, I'll forever be grateful!!!

Sincerely,

Crystal

Appel Farm '09 - The First Session in Photos (Part 2)

Appel Farm '09 - The First Session in Photos (Part 1)

A GOTO First: A Pet-Friendly Party

The 79th Street Boat Basin - site of Thursday's Rock the Boat Basin fundraiser - will bring together GOTO supporters from all walks of life. Bankers, teachers, lawyers, marketers and ... collies?

GOTO will have a chance to make history on Thursday - to break our eight-year-long streak of dogless fundraisers. According to the dog travel directory BringFido.com, the 79th Street Boat Basin is a rarity - a legit "dog friendly" restaurant in New York City.

If you haven't bought your tickets yet, grab them now before they're all gone.

You'll want to be there to witness history.

Who Would've Guessed ... Active People Volunteer More

We're always on the lookout for good volunteers over here at GOTO. Maybe we should be spend more time recruiting in jazz clubs? Check out this research from National Endowment for the Arts:

Regardless of a person’s education level, gender, or age, performing arts attendance increases the probability of volunteering by 25 percentage points. Moreover, levels of activity, including arts and sports attendance, are better predictors of volunteering than are demographic traits.

The report, titled Volunteer & Performing Arts Attendance: More Evidence From the SPAA is filled with answers to the question "Why are volunteers always so awesome?" Check out the full report here.

Introducing GOTO New York’s Class of ‘09

Appel Farm's 2nd session of camp began yesterday. And given that most of our New York scholarship recipients attend the August session (there are fewer school conflicts than with the earlier session), we thought that now would be a good time to introduce our new class of kids. Either that or we forgot to post it sooner. So without any further ado ...

Sinaya attends PS 72 in Brooklyn, NY. A budding modern dancer, Sinya looks forward to learning ballet, jazz, tap and folk styles at camp.

Jade is a student at PS/IS 73 in Brooklyn where she impresses her teachers with the sophistication of her painting, drawing and sculpting.

Christian attends Mott Hall II in Manhattan. He is passionate about photography and capturing moments on film.

Kayla is from PS 175 in the Bronx. She sings in the chorus and enjoys harmonizing in groups.

Malik is an artist inspired by both nature and comics. A student at PS/IS 73 in Brooklyn, Malik creates his own original comic books by drawing characters from his favorite strips and placing them in his own stories.

Blessing is a student at MS 144 in the Bronx. A recent African emigrant, Blessing has had to learn to communicate in a new language. She sees the visual arts as a universal language and looks forward to expanding her ability to express herself creatively.

Crystal attends TASS Middle School in Manhattan. Her teachers describe her voice as "amazing" and Crystal hopes to compliment her vocal talents by learning piano.

Alexander attends PS 175 in the Bronx. His mother describes him as a shy artist who will benefit from learning amongst like-minded students.

Kwaku is a student at Mott Hall II in Manhattan. He is passionate about music and hopes to study film at camp in order to create music videos.

Jenzia is Bronx resident and student at The Center School in Manhattan. A singer, Jenzia plans to expand her vocal talents at camp.

Dan Salmon Guest Post: Looking Back on my Time with GOTO

Hello GOTO enthusiasts. Thanks for tuning in. My name is Dan Salmon and this week I'm a guest blogger for GOTO. 4-9 years ago, however, I was a founding member of the charity, sat on the Board of Directors and ran the Events Committee (you can learn more here).

Unfortunately, my world outside GOTO (mostly the soul-crushing job...OK, it's not soul-crushing, I actually like it, but you know what I mean...) lead me to scale back my commitment.

Today I do my best to help with a donation each year, hounding my employer to do the same and (of course) attending the fundraisers and catching up with old friends. Today, though, I'd like to share my thoughts on how GOTO has helped me in other areas of my life and pass along a little advice about how both you and the volunteer organization of your choice (hopefully it's GOTO) can benefit from dedicating a little of your spare time to a good cause.

Volunteerism offers many things to young professionals including the opportunity to do some good, network with peers and to kick back and have a good time at fundraisers. But of the many great lessons and experiences I gained through GOTO, the chance to assume a leadership role at a young age was the most valuable. Getting the opportunity to lead a group of peers is one that comes rarely to an early to mid-twenty something in New York City professional life, however youth volunteer organizations like GOTO provide them in spades. Now, as I move through my (gasp!) early 30s and more responsibility falls on my shoulders in the professional world, I can look back and see how my time with GOTO taught me skills in people management, priority setting and multi tasking that serve me increasingly well today.

That said, leadership is not for every volunteer, particularly at the outset. In order to best help your volunteer organization, the most important thing one must remember is to not bite off more than one can chew. Nothing disrupts the planning of a fundraiser or scholarship recipient event more than a volunteer who can't fulfill their piece of the plan due to unforeseen circumstances. To use the baseball analogy, start by slapping a few singles and doubles before you swing for the fences. It takes time to figure out how a volunteer commitment will fit into your busy life, so there's no need to rush it.

Cocktails for a Cause: 07/30/09

July 30th, 2009 is a big night for GOTO.

In addition to GOTO New York's Rock the Boat Basin, GOTO Boston will be hosting their own fundraiser that evening: Cocktails for a Cause.

Held in the outdoor courtyard of Beacon Hill's Liberty Hotel - one of the Leading Hotels of the World - Cocktails for a Cause will be a great event for GOTO supporters new & old.

And if you're one of the scores of GOTO New York alumni who have traded in GOTO committee meetings for HBS case studies, here's your chance to reconnect with us. You've been missed.

Tickets will be sold at the door. $20 suggested donation.

See you there...

5 Questions for GOTO's Fashion Correspondent: Militini

Militini is a born and bred Georgia Peach spending her twenty-something year-old days moonlighting as a "New Yorker" amidst the bright lights in this big city. She’s also GOTO’s resident Fashion Correspondent.

After Rock the Boat Basin, she’ll be weighing in on the best dressed men and women of the night. But for now, here are 5 Questions for Militini ...

1. Young professionals in New York City have so many social options to choose between every night of the week. What can a fundraising party offer to stand out here?

A fundraising party that chooses a creative venue (like the Boat Basin - anywhere outdoors when the weather is nice is always appealing) and brings together young professionals interested in meeting new people in the name of a worthy cause, is a winner in my book.

2. Why do you think there are so many fundraisers in New York City? Is it like that in Atlanta as well?

I think there are so many fundraisers in NYC because this is a city filled with go-getters, many of whom are out to change the world for the better. Combine this notion with the fact that our city is a melting pot of diverse interests, cultures and backgrounds, and you get a plethora of unique organizations seeking to make a difference in the community.

Atlanta, like New York, is also a very social city so there are a lot of fundraising events. But most of these events are for the same handful of philanthropic organizations. I lived in Charlotte for awhile as well where there are also a lot of fundraisers, but again, you don't have the options to choose from when selecting an organization to be involved with like you do in NYC.

3. What are the greatest differences between NYC fundraisers & Southern fundraisers?

A) The Southern fundraisers serve sweet tea and Chick-fil-A chicken nugget platters, whereas NYC is deprived of both of these things, and B) You are less likely to meet new people at fundraising events in the South because, chances are, you're probably related to most of the people there anyway. Kidding! (I can joke about silly southern stereotypes because I'm from there, right?)

In all seriousness, I would say that there aren't too many differences between fundraisers north and south of the Mason Dixon. In both places, people are there with intentions to raise money for a good cause, while having a good time in the process.

4. You offer some solid fashion tips on your blog. If a guy wants to make a good impression at our party, what should he be wearing?

If you are a guy attending the upcoming party at the Boat Basin, its best to go with casual attire that is comfortable, yet polished at the same time.


From my southern girl perspective, you can't go wrong with a pair of seersucker shorts and a crisp polo shirt. If that's not your style, wear whatever makes you feel on top of your game (hint, hint--a crumpled up t-shirt with a hole in it and those khaki pants you've had since senior year of high school don't typically indicate "top of game-ness"...just saying).

If you're coming from the office, come as you are, but maybe leave the tie behind.

5. And what would you not be caught dead wearing to our party?

Me personally? I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a Duke Basketball jersey to your party...or ever. (disclaimer: I have personal reasons for this, my comment is not intended as an offense to Duke or anyone who went there).

To learn more about Militini – and to follow her awesome blog – click here.

Lost at Seaport Artwork

For GOTO's very first summer fundraiser aboard the Peking, we turned to artist William Collieson for the design of our promotional artwork. Mr. Collieson was educated at the Wallasey School of Art in Liverpool and currently lives in Bermuda.

This was our very first attempt at "outsourcing" GOTO's creatives needs to a professional, and we couldn't have been happier with the results.

Given that "Lost At Seaport" was being held aboard a ninety-one year old, four-masted barque, we wanted the artwork to be classy. And we wanted the design to feel summery. We were blown away by what Will produced.

The image at top left was Mr. Collieson's first draft of the campaign artwork. The image to the right is the finished product.

The work is about seven years old, but it still holds up. Thanks again, Will!

GOTO Scholar Profile: Jenzia

Jenzia is a member of GOTO's latest class of scholarship recipients / rock stars. She's also a Bronx resident & student at The Center School in Manhattan.

A natural born singer, Jenzia plans to expand her vocal talents at camp this year. She also hopes to learn how to play the piano while at Appel Farm Arts & Music Summer Camp.

Jenzia's 6th grade teacher describes her as a "vocal powerhouse" who stands out in school performances and a student who always has a great attitude.

This will be Jenzia's first summer at Appel Farm ... Welcome to the GOTO Fam', Jenzia!

GOTO in the Star-Ledger

In 2007, New Jersey's largest local newspaper profiled GOTO in their hallowed pages.

Click on the image to the left to read what the Star-Ledger had to say about us.

Our Kids Rock

Alanna McIntyre (GOTO Class of ’03) recently graduated from the Renaissance High School for Music Theatre & Technology as the salutatorian of her class. As a reward, she joined other high school salutatorians and valedictorians from across NYC for a BBQ at Gracie Mansion with Mayor Bloomberg.

Alanna was thrilled to meet the Mayor and he congratulated her on all of her hard work. Alanna's off to college in the Fall, but her Summer couldn't have begun any better.