GOTO Early Bird Discounts Extended 24 Hours!!

GOTO's 10th ANNUAL SPOOKTACULAR
Saturday, October 20th
10pm til 3am
Broad Street Ballroom, Manhattan

Ghouls and goblins lurk in the alley

A ghastly wind brings hoots and howls to your window

No one knocks at your door

You're all alone on Halloween

Don't let this New York nightmare come true. We've extended our Early Bird Discounts an extra 24 hours!!

Join us for GOTO's 10th Annual Halloween Spooktacular at the Broad Street Ballroom. The monster mash starts Saturday, October 30th at 10pm and lists until 3am Halloween morning.

Thank you to our sponsor!

We'll supply the tricks, Popchips will be providing the treats.

Early Bird Prices increase TOMORROW at the stroke of midnight. This event sells out every year, so visit http://gotonyhalloween.charityhappenings.org/ for tickets.

GOTO's 10th Annual Spooktacular!!

GOTO'S 10TH ANNUAL

SPOOKTACULAR!!
Saturday, October 30th

10pm til 3am

Broad Street Ballroom, Manhattan

Come join us for a frighteningly fun night of drinking, dancing and debauchery at GOTO's 10th Annual Halloween Event. Bust out in your favorite costume and mingle with other revelers on Saturday, October 30th at the Broad Street Balroom in downtown Manhattan.

Show your spirit and help send deserving middle school students to arts camp. Who would have thought that having this much fun could do so much good?

BEWARE! Early bird prices are for 1 week only and will increase at midnight on October 5th. We've sold out every year so get yours now before poof! they're all gone.

Tickets start at $60 for 5 hours of open bar plus perks! http://gotonyhalloween.charityhappenings.org/

Join GOTO for the 2010 Summer Social!

All Hands on Deck!

We're cruising full speed ahead for this Thursday's Summer Soiree at the 79th Street Boat Basin Cafe on NYC's Upper West Side. Get there by 8pm and take advantage of a 3 hour open bar, DJ and dancing. It's going to be first rate!

Don't miss the boat, buy your tickets NOW! http://goto2010summer.eventbrite.com

Camp Visit: Sunday, July 18th

Do you want to experience camp with the kids first-hand? Sign up today to visit camp and participate in workshops with the kids!

When: 8:30am (departure from Manhattan) - 7pm (arrival back in Manhattan)
Where: Pick up and drop off details to come
RSVP: michelle.hunter@thegotogroup.org

Feel free to bring snacks for the ride there and back. Lunch will be provided.

First Day of Camp!!

GOTO wishes its scholars, old and new, a great first day of camp!

We have 16 Scholars attending the first session of camp. The remaining 11 returning scholars are attending the second session of camp later this summer. Students choose majors and minors to study while at camp, such as:

--Music (Voice, Piano, Viola, Cello, Oboe, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Euphonium, Acoustic and Electric Guitar and Bass, Percussion and Drums)

--Theater (Scene-Based Acting, Playwriting, and Introduction to Directing, Stage Combat)

--Dance (Ballet, Beginning Ballet, Pointe Ballet, Jazz, Modern Dance, Choreography, Tap, Hip-Hop, Folk Dance)

--Visual Arts (Painting, Drawing, Illustration, Ceramics, Printmaking, Sculpture, Glass Art, Fibert Art, Mixed Media, Beading and Crafts)

--Media Arts (Photography, Video, Recording Arts, Creating Writing, Journalism)

--Sports and Swimming

Click here to donate to the Scholarship Fund. It is the generous donations of GOTO-supporters like you that allow us to send kids to camp each summer.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Cheyanne Walker Williams

Cheyanne has always dreamed of becoming a country music singer and songwriter. She is excited to put that creativity to work while taking classes in singing and guitar at Med-O-Lark. Cheyanne will also have the opportunity to try horseback riding and ballet.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Carlos Oviedo

Carlos is the youngest child and only boy in his family, so he is looking forward to hanging out with other kids his own age at Med-O-Lark. Carlos has always wanted to learn how to play the guitar and, since there are no music classes at Roxbury Prep, he is excited to try it out this summer!

NYC 2010 Scholar: Ariel Villanueva

Ariel loves to sing whenever and wherever she can: from the hallways and bathrooms at school to even the bus! She has an energetic and enthusiastic personality that enables her to motivate others. Ariel is ready to learn more about music and dance while at camp.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Shavon Ajanee McBynum

Shavon is passionate about dance and abstract art, because she feels that they have no boundaries. She is currently a student at Mother Caroline Academy and believes that Med-O-Lark will help her both socially and personally.

NYC 2010 Scholar: Emily Rosas

Emily found an interest in videography while making films of pets at home. She is hoping to add to this interest at camp by taking classes in drawing, photography, and creative writing. Although Emily can be shy at school, she is confident she will make great friends at Appel Farm.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Jacarea Lee Garraway

Jacarea attends the Mission Hill School and recently won an award at her school's art competition. She is hoping to translate this success to camp Med-O-Lark, where she is eager to participate in different activities while making friends from all different backgrounds.

NYC 2010 Scholar: Jazmin Roman

Jazmin loves to dance latin and hip-hop and is ready to perform! She's well on her way, as she recently played Sandy in PS188's performance of Grease. She is not only a star on the stage, but also in the classroom; she has one of the highest averages in her 6th grade math class. Although Jazmin has never been to sleepaway camp, she thinks it will be a lot of fun and a great way to refine her talents.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Geraldine Galvis

Geraldine attends Mother Caroling Academy and is interested in pottery, drawing, design. She hopes to hone these skills at camp to help her achieve her dream: to be a clothing designer to the rich and famous! Geraldine is also looking forward to spend time out in nature and to meet new people.

NYC 2010 Scholar: Danny Rodriguez

Danny is looking forward to experiencing nature up close at camp, as he has spent most of his summers inside playing video games. His favorite character is the HULK because it inspires him to confront his problems head-on. Danny is interested in theater, visual arts and media arts.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Dimitri Cesar

Dimitri attends Nativity Prep and is respected among his peers. He credits his involvement in the arts to his brother. He believes that camp Med-O-Lark will give him the opportunity to try new things and learn new skills.

NYC 2010 Scholar: Ambar Popa

Ambar spends a lot of time drawing in her sketchbook but is eager to learn about what other materials she can use to create art. She has always been interested in sculpture because she likes the idea of working with clay to make different forms and shapes. At Appel Farm, Ambar will have the opportunity to explore drawing, sculpture, and more!

Boston 2010 Scholar: Ashaley Stephen Catalano

Ashaley currently attends Nativity Prep and has developed an interest in art through his classes at school, including one on African drumming. He loves to paint and scult in his free time at home. Ashaley is looking forward to not only the art classes at camp, but also the fencing, water-skiing and archery programs.

NYC 2010 Scholar: Brittany Pena

Brittany is a hard working student at PS/MS 188, as well as a caring sister to her autistic 6 year old brother. She has some experience with sketching and sculpture but is looking forward most to explore painting. At camp, Brittany wants to make new friends and learn to create art in ways she never thought possible.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Beatrice Cabrera

Beatrice currently attends Mother Caroline Academy and she enjoys playing soccer and reading in her free time. By the end of the summer, Beatrice hopes to have tried her hand at playing an instrument, taking sculpting classes, and participating in a variety of water activities.

NYC 2010 Scholar: Lissette Nunez

Lissette is eager to explore dance, visual arts, music (singing) and theater at Appel Farm. She works very hard at school to excel both academically and artistically and is looking forward to furthering her art with others with the same interests. In her spare time, Lissette likes to read vampire novels.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Cora Burwell

Cora currently attends Mission Hill, but has been involved in the arts since kindergarten. She has always loved to draw, and is particularly interested in the style of Japanese animation. In addition to honing her arts skills, Cora is looking forward to trying new things at camp, such as horseback riding and water-skiing.

NYC 2010 Scholar: ShaiAnn Lubelli

ShaiAnn loves to draw during her spare time and is interested in studying the visual arts at camp. She also loves to sing and dance and recently got to show off her talents in a production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Unfortunately, with recent budget cuts to her school's art program and 5 siblings at home, ShaiAnn does not have as much time to devote to the arts as she would like. She is looking forward to having the time to really concentrate on her art and to meet new friends.

Boston 2010 Scholar: Gaddi Fils Aime

Gaddi is a student at Nativity Prep who is actively involved in the arts at his local YMCA. He is looking forward most to improving his articistic abilities while exploring Mother Nature at camp Med-O-Lark.

NYC 2010 Scholar: Elijah Jacob Charbonier

Elijah is a 6th grader at TASS Middle School and has always had a love for music. Teachers describe him as a natural born leader who does best when expressing himself through art, music, and writing. Although he has not been able to receive any formal training or to attend music performances, he has taught himself the drums and is eager to learn the guitar. Appel Farm will offer Elijah a unique opportunity to improve his skills and to explore new talents.

Scholar-a-Day Countdown!!

GOTO is running a blog-a-thon to celebrate the new class of scholars! Starting today, June 17th, and continuing every day for the next 10 days leading up to camp, we'll be updating the blog with bios on each new NYC and Boston scholar. Make sure to check out the blog every day to learn more about our amazing kids!!

Appel Farm Exec Director Honored

The Executive Director of Appel Farm Arts & Music Summer Camp (GOTO New York's partner camp) Mark Packer, received the Lillian Levy Standing Ovation Award, the South Jersey Cultural Alliance’s highest honor, for his leadership in supporting the region and the State’s arts and cultural organizations.

Mr. Packer joined the staff of Appel Farm in 1984. From 1985 through 1987 he served as the Summer Arts Camp Director and in 1988 became the Executive Director. A native of Montreal, Canada, he is a graduate cum laude of Kenyon College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, and attended courses towards his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University. He plays a major role in regional and statewide arts organizations including the South Jersey Cultural Alliance, which he co-founded in 1992 and is currently a Trustee.

He is also the President of ArtPride New Jersey, the statewide advocacy organization for the non-profit arts industry, where he has been a Trustee since 1988. He co-founded the Arts & Business Partnership of Southern New Jersey and was honored in 2002 as the recipient of ABP's annual Art Partner of the Year. He has served as a consultant and panelist for numerous organizations, including the Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission, and the G.G.Green Redevelopment Project. Congrats from all of GOTO, Mark!

GOTO NYC Scholarship Reception - May 22

Friends of GOTO:

Please mark your calendars!

On Saturday, May 22nd, please join us for GOTO's Class of 2010 & Returning Scholars Reception. Held at the Center for Arts Education (A on map below) near Madison Square Garden (B on map below). Here's the full address:

14 Penn Plaza 225 West 34th Street

Suite 1112

New York, NY 10122

Please join us between 1:30 and 2:30pm on this special day as we welcome the new GOTO scholars and parents to the GOTO Family, as well as catch up with returning scholars and parents.

View Larger Map

GOTO NYC's Class of 2010

GOTO NY has selected the new class of lucky sixth graders who'll be making the trek to Elmer, New Jersey this summer!

As the kids look forward to their 1st day of camp (Sunday, June 25th), we'll be introducing you to all of our amazing scholars - one day at a time.

Look out for GOTO Scholar bio-a-thon beginning in June!

Who Gains the Most From a College Education?

There was an interesting post on this week's Freakonomics blog quantifying the value of a college education to underprivileged students.

A new study finds that the students who are least likely to go to college (based on family background, abilities, and friend group) are the ones with the most to gain from a degree. Jennie E. Brand and Yu Xie find that the unlikeliest male college graduates earned 30% more over their lifetimes than comparable men who earned only a high school degree.

It makes you wonder which kids gain the most from a summer music camp experience? To read the full post, you can check it out here.

Gosince01's 1 Year Anniversary Blograiser

Summer camp experiences are expensive! But GOTO's kids are TOTALLY worth it.

In honor of the one year anniversary of Giving Opportunities Since 2001, we've decided to host our first inaugural "blograiser."

Over the next three months, we're going to raise enough money to send two GOTO scholarship kids to camp ... $40 at a time.

If you're curious how the finances break down, one full scholarship to Appel Farm costs GOTO $4,000. And one Med-O-Lark scholarship costs us $1,800.

That brings our 3 month fundraising goal to a grand total of $5,800 and 145 individual $40 donors.

Donations can be made on the fancy widget at the top right hand side of the blog. Or you can donate here. Or
you can mail your check for $40 into GOTO HQ, with "2010 Blograiser" in the Memo line.

In addition to knowing that they've helped provide two awesome kids the experience of a lifetime, all 2010 Blograiser donors will be immortalized through a gosince01 acknowledgement or interview.

So please donate $40. Help us, help you reach the internet immortalization that you've worked so hard for. It's the least we could do.

GOTO Hits the Beach

Back in the early aughts, GOTO burst onto the international press circuit with two articles in Bermuda's daily broadsheet, The Royal Gazette.

Founded in 1828, The Royal Gazette is Bermuda's only daily newspaper and reaches around 90% of Bermuda's adult population. So it's safe to say Bermuda knew who we were.

The first article (published January 25th, 2002) focused on GOTO's humble beginnings and ties to the island. The second article (published June 3rd, 2003) featured an interview with the five founding GOTO Board Members ... live from Bermuda!

Second to emphasizing that the GOTO Board "Retreat" wasn't paid for by our donors, this was my favorite moment from either article: “We're not doing it for money, we're doing it because we believe in the organization and we believe in the kids. That inspires people to help us.”

That's as true today as it was then.

If you're interested in taking a stroll down memory lane, here are the 2001 and 2003 articles for your reading pleasure.

A GOTO Revolution!

The incredibly talented GOTO mentee Lauren Reyes designed this awesome piece of artwork for our most recent Gala silent auction.

Even more evidence of how much our kids rock ...

Seen at the GOTO Gala NYC 2010 (Part 1)

Seen at the GOTO Gala NYC 2010 (Part 2)

GOTO NYC 2010 Spring Information Session

This Saturday, we’ll be introducing our 6th grade scholarship nominees to Appel Farm Arts & Music Summer Camp and the fine volunteers of GOTO at our 2010 Spring Information Session.

A few camp Directors will be in the house. And so will current GOTO scholars, ready to share their experiences with nominated kids and answer questions from nervous parents.

Including all of the nominees, current scholars and families, we’re expecting a packed house, but any member of the GOTO family is welcome to attend.

All of the Info Session details are below. If you think you can make it, please RSVP here.

Hope to see you there!

Info Session Details:
Saturday March 6th from 11am-2pm (please arrive by 10:30am)
Center for Arts Education
11 Penn Plaza, 225 West 34th Street, Suite 1112 (between 7th and 8th Avenue), NY, NY
(Near the 1/2/A/C/D/E/N/W/R/F/V trains)

Jazz & Gin on Guest of a Guest

Another year, another action-packed GOTO Gala at Capitale.

The GOTO faithful showed up in force on Friday night. Weather be damned.

The silent auction spread was almost as impressive as the food. Three of our past scholarship receipients wowed the crowd by belting out jazz standards from the stage. And by all accounts, the hundreds of partygoers who attended Jazz & Gin had an amazing time. If you don't believe me, head on over to Guest of a Guest's site to read their Jazz & Gin recap.

The official gosince01 Jazz & Gin wrap-up is coming shortly, accompanied by even more photos of GOTO partygoers doing the worm.

Until then, stay tuned ...

Grotesk & Inglorious Basterds for Haiti

Back in June of last year, gosince01 interviewed the Swiss graphic artist Grotesk. He spoke about his creative influences & shared advice for GOTO's young aspiring artists.

This week, Grotesk & a team of artists linked up with Quentin Tarantino to help raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Each artist was asked to create their own poster art based off their interpretation of Tarantino's film "Inglorious Basterds."

Only six of each print were created, and each was numbered and signed by Tarantino. On February 18th, patrons previewed and purchased the “Lost Art of Inglorious Basterds” at The Upper Playground Art Gallery in Downtown L.A. All proceeds from this program were donated to The American Red Cross to help the victims of the Haiti Earthquake.

Grotesk's (pretty awesome) submission is seen above. To check out all of the artwork, click here.

A Flapper Dance "How To" Post

Next Friday, the GOTO faithful will descend upon Capitale for GOTO NYC's 2010 Winter Gala "Jazz & Gin." And many of you will dress the part. But will you be prepared once the music starts jumpin?

If you don't know how to dance like they did in the '20s, check out this video below. Voted by Esquire as one of America's best bars, L.A.'s The Edison prides itself on preserving the glamorourous 1920's aesthetic. And what would the 1920's aesthetic be without flapper girls?

Watch the Edison's flapper girls get busy below. And best of luck trying to bring these moves to life on the 26th ...

1920's Fashion Tips

Jazz & Gin (GOTO's upcoming Winter Gala) is only three weeks away!

Many of you have already purchased your tickets and are starting to sweat about what you're going to wear on the big night.

While dressing "of the era" isn't required of our Jazz & Gin guests, it wouldn't hurt if you're looking to step your fashion game up. From our extensive internet research, we've uncovered that the '20s were a pretty fashionable decade.

If you're in need of pointers on 1920's fashion, below are a few gosince01 endorsed fashion resources in the form of movie trailers.

Please note - we're not endorsing the movies. Just the trailers. Just focus on what the actors & actresses are wearing and forgive the occasionally crummy acting.

• The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
• Harlem Nights
• The Aviator
• De-Lovely

GOTO Mentee Profiles

At our upcoming Winter Gala, we'll be joined by two former GOTO scholars who've agreed to perform for all of our guests: Alanna & Raven. Here's a profile on each of our star alumnus.

RAVEN

Q. What were your majors/minors?

Rock Band

Q. Do you stay in touch with other GOTO Grads?
Yes

Q. Tell us about your musical interests. Do you play any instrument? Do you like certain genre of music?
I love all music. I love to sign. I have a guitar.

Q. Tell us about your artistic interests. Do you enjoy

certain types of art? DO you enjoy performing arts?
I love art. I love the performing arts. Before homeschool I attended a performing arts school

Q. What other hobbies do you have? Do you play or enjoy watching any particular sports? Do you have a favorite team?
I love to watch college basketball especially. My favorite team is North Carolina. But in the NBA it woud be the Celtics then the Bulls. I like the #1.

Q. Tell us about any awards or recognitions that you've received. Please include acceptance to schools, special programs and any scholarships etc. This is your chance to tell us about you!
Accepted to Brown University Pre-College Program. Accepted to Columbia University College Prep.

Accepted to NYU Pre-College Program. (Raven has since been granted interviews to all three schools for undergraduate study.)

Q. Tell us about what you'd like to do with your BRIGHT future! Include college aspirations, career paths...All of that good stuff!
Be awesome at Yale! Get my PhD in Political Science. Own buildings. Begin my career in entertaining. Be a director. Get a castle in Ireland. Start saving the world.

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ALANNA

Q. What were your majors/minors?
Musical Theater, Drawing

Q. Do you stay in touch with other GOTO Grads?
Yes

Q. Tell us about your musical interests. Do you play any instrument? Do you like certain genre of music?
I like to sign! Genre of music: POP, ROCK!

Q. Tell us about your artistic interests. Do you enjoy certain types of art? DO you enjoy performing arts?
Yes. I enjoy performing arts-sing, dancing, acting.

Q. What other hobbies do you have? Do you play or enjoy watching any particular sports? Do you have a favorite team?
Favorite team: Yankees!

Q. Tell us about any awards or recognitions that you've received. Please include acceptance to schools, special programs and any scholarships etc. This is your chance to tell us about you!
*Salutorian of Renaissance HS graduation!! All 4 years of HS->perfect attendance, academic achievement in all subjects. *National Honor Society member. *Acceptance into #1 school SUNY OSWEGO! * Working at the Bronx Zoo (3 yrs now). *Performing at the GOTO Gala on Feb 20, 2009!!*

Q. Tell us about what you'd like to do with your BRIGHT future! Include college aspirations, career paths...All of that good stuff!
Attending SUNY OSWEGO for Zoology/Vet medicine for 5 years. Hopefully traveling & researching wild animals (African Wild Dogs and Big Cats). Working hands-on with wild animals at Bronx Zoo or San Diego Zoo.

Jazz & Gin Video

Friends of gosince01 ... below is a short promotional video for our upcoming Gala. Check it out to see what you missed at Gala's past & what's to come on Feb. 26th.

This version is a little grainy, so if you want to view the HD version, you'll have to visit gosince01's YouTube channel.

GOTO NYC Scholarship Information Session: 03/06/2010

It's that time of the year again!

GOTO NY's Spring Information Session (where we introduce our 6th grade scholarship nominees to Appel Farm and GOTO) is just around the corner, and we hope that as many of you in the GOTO family can make it.

Appel Fam camp directors will be in attendance as well as current scholars to share their experience and answer any questions.

All of the meeting details are below. If you can make it, send your RSVP here. Hope to see you there!

When:Saturday March 6th from 10:30am-2pm

Where: Center for Arts Education11 Penn Plaza
225 West 34th Street, Suite 1112 (between 7th and 8th Ave.)

GOTO's 2010 Jazz & Gin Winter Gala and Casino Night

GOTO is starting the year with a little razzle dazzle...roaring 20's style!

On February 26, 2010, GOTO's annual gala will transport you to the 1920's when naughty was nice, bootleg gin was all the rage, and jumpin' jazz caught on like wild fire. Ladies, rouge your knees and don your flapper dresses, and gents, put on the ritz with your smokin' best and join us in enabling talented, young scholars to become shining artists of the future.

Feeling lucky? A poker tournament will last throughout the night with prizes for the finalists. Delicious hors d'oeuvres will whet your appetite, classic cocktails will please your palate, and music and special guest performances will keep you entertained.

Pick up your tickets right here.