The Men's Association Donates Alumni Basketball Proceeds to NAMI

Pictures 1)David Sills, Board Secretary, Ellen Victor, Board Co-VP, Bob Basel TMA , Janet Susin, President of Board, Gerry Kelly GCHS '75, Ellen Ritz, Board Co- VP

2)Dr. Lloyd Sederer, Chief Medical Officer of the New York State Office of Mental Health, Janet Susin, President NAMI Queens Nassau, Gerry Kelly GCHS '75

The Men’s Association Donates Proceeds of Garden City High School Basketball Alumni Game to National Alliance on Mental Illness

The Men’s Association of Garden City donated $6200 to the National Alliance of Mental Illness,Queens- Nassau branch on February 22 at NAMI’s monthly meeting in Glen Oaks, NY. NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, NAMI is an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in our community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.

The featured speaker at the meeting was Dr. Lloyd Sederer, Chief Medical Officer of New York State Office of Mental Health. Dr. Sederer spoke on his new book, “Four Secrets in Plain Sight”, which targets both clinicians and lay readers. He explained that 1) behaviors have meaning, 2) attachment is central to health (and recovery), 3)“doing more” often means doing more harm, 4) chronic stress may be the most debilitating condition of life. The NAMI Queens –Nassau branch provided the Men’s Association with a copy of the book, which will be donated to the Garden City Library later this Spring. The book, only 108 pages long, allows residents to gain insight on improving mental health.

For almost 80 years, The Men's Association or simply the TMA has supported the athletic and social activities of students in the Garden City schools and promoted good sportsmanship as well as ideal citizenship. The TMA is composed of more than 100 Active Directors, 50 Life Directors and 500 Family members. With the generous support of our fellow residents, the Men's Association has been involved in a great number of projects covering a wide range of interests. While we are still primarily committed to the athletic programs at the Middle School and High School, in recent years the TMA has expanded their support and sponsorship to other programs benefiting a wider range of students in the Garden City Schools. We thank all the Alumni, families, coaches and players on the current Varsity Basketball Teams for making this event a success.