| |  | It seems like just yesterday, we announced plans to celebrate our 75th Anniversary. Since then, it’s been an exciting time for staff, students, residents, and their families. We have celebrated in so many ways; our prom featured a 75th anniversary theme, dances for our residents celebrated the 75th, students have learned a lot while playing with the numbers 7 and 5, teachers have created Mary Cariola timelines on their bulletin boards, and students made 75th Anniversary sun catchers. | | |  | A well-attended press conference was held at our State Road residence with the City of Rochester Mayor, Malik Evans and Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. They spoke of Mary’s contributions and made a joint announcement, proclaiming May 16, 2024, as “Mary Cariola Day” in the city and county. That date is recognized as the official founding of the agency and most local media outlets covered the event.
Stay tuned for more activities as we reflect on the past and impact the future. | | | | | |  | Holy macaroni, what a night! Our annual Eat, Drink, & Be Mary fundraising event on June 6th was an enormous success, thanks to more than 235 leadership donors and their guests, along with many sponsors helped us celebrate Mary Cariola Center’s 75th anniversary. In the early days, Mary Cariola herself, funded the agency by hosting spaghetti dinners, so it seemed appropriate to pay tribute to Mary and host one too. Seventy-five years after Mary held that first pasta dinner, the Mary Cariola Center has become known as the regional leader in educating and caring for individuals with complex developmental disabilities. The sold out Eat, Drink, & Be Mary event raised over $450,000. We can’t thank all our attendees and sponsors enough for making this a record year. | | | | Special thanks to our co-host, Harris Beach PLLC, and our other event sponsors: | |  | | |  |  | We are excited to announce that the Haney Family is the newest recipient of the distinguished Mary Cariola Award. Their accomplishments were recognized at our annual Eat, Drink & Be Mary event. Not everyone receives this honor...it is not an annual recognition, and the criteria is extensive if not impressive. It was last awarded in 2017. The Mary Cariola Award is bestowed on a worthy friend, family, or organization who has consistently contributed to the agency at an elevated level for an extended period and exemplifies the embodiment of Mary Cariola’s spirit. The Haney's are in a league of their own. For the past nine years, these longtime residents of Irondequoit, NY, have hosted and implemented the Caring for A Cause Golf Classic to benefit Mary Cariola. Spearheaded by siblings, Sharon and Mike Haney, and inspired by “Ma” Haney, the entire family plays a vital role in the success of the tournament from soliciting sponsors to registration at the event. They all pitch in and every year the sold-out golf classic just keeps getting better and better. They have raised an impressive $261,000 making them our most successful third-party fundraisers in the agency’s history. We are thrilled to recognize the Haney Family, and are humbled by the generosity and outpouring of support from them. The Haney commitment to others is just as strong as their commitment to each other. Their love, care, and dedication has impacted thousands of lives. We are bursting with pride over the contemporary design of the award. Renowned for their beautiful, captivating work in metal sculpture, we commissioned local artists, Paul and Christine Knoblauch, to create a one-of-a-kind piece that captured the Mary Cariola sun logo and the shining personality of all the Haney’s.
Thank you, Haney Family, for bringing so much sunshine to all of us. Congratulations from all of us at Mary Cariola Center. | | | | | |  |  | There was plenty of pomp and circumstance at Mary Cariola Center last month as students, residents, staff, and families celebrated the Class of 2024. Preschool Classroom Teachers presented Certificates of Accomplishments to forty-three preschool graduates. Sixty percent of these graduates will return to their home school districts (representing five counties) while 40% will continue at Cariola for our outstanding Kindergarten program. Read more HERE
Visit our graduation photo gallery | | | |  | One of Mary Cariola Center’s corporate partners is Comprehensive Dermatology of Rochester. The patient-driven practice covers all areas of dermatology striving to ensure customer comfort and satisfaction. Founder, Dr. Manasi Ladrigan, started the practice in 2012. “At Comprehensive Dermatology of Rochester, we believe in giving back to the community that has supported us over the years. The Mary Cariola Center's mission deeply resonates with our values of compassion, inclusivity, and support for all. Becoming a corporate sponsor allows us to contribute to a cause that significantly impacts the lives of many families in our community,” Dr. Ladrigan said. Comprehensive Dermatology has been a corporate partner with Mary Cariola for the past several years. “Our partnership with the Mary Cariola Center not only allows us to support a vital community resource but also strengthens our ties with the Rochester community,” explained Dr. Ladrigan. “By sponsoring the Center, we enhance our visibility and reputation as a business that cares about the well-being of all community members. This collaboration fosters a sense of pride and purpose within our team. Additionally, it aligns our brand with values of care and commitment to all people, which are integral to our practice.” | | |  | | |  | | | Dr. Ladrigan is also a parent of a Cariola student. She sees first hand the accomplishments students and residents acheive. We are proud to have a loyal and resolute member of the Rochester community as one of our corporate partners and are thankful for their support. | | | | | | | | | |  | Join us for Walking on Sunshine! | | We hope to see you at our largest community fundraiser Walking on Sunshine on Sunday, September 22 at Veterans Memorial Park in Penfield. This year’s event will be extra special as we celebrate our 75th anniversary with activities involving everyone in the Cariola Community including alumni and retirees.
Reconnect with alumni and retirees as they serve as Grand Marshalls of the Walk.
Stop by the 75th Anniversary video tent to record inspirational messages and sign a scroll to be placed in a time capsule that will be opened in 2049! Enjoy Family Fun Activities, team photos, team mascots, a celebration lunch, the big tent raffle, and much more.
Now is the time to form a team, join a team, and donate to a team. Your fundraising efforts will impact nearly 500 individuals with developmental disabilities served in our residential homes and school program. Walking on Sunshine, now in its 16th year, has raised more than $2 million dollars in support of our students and residents.
For information and registration visit marycariola.org/walk | |  | | |  | The primary reason people make charitable gifts is because they have a desire to “do good”—help the community, support a cause they are passionate about, or assist those less fortunate, for example. It is generally not to improve their tax situation. That said, with more taxpayers using the standard deduction these days, donors are considering other alternatives for their charitable giving that do provide tax benefits. One of the simplest strategies is making a bundled gift, which is bunching two or more years of anticipated contributions into a single tax year. Other tax-wise gift strategies include Donor-Advised Funds, or DAFs, which are like charitable investment accounts for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations you care about. When you establish a DAF, you are generally eligible to take an immediate tax deduction. Those funds are often invested for tax-free growth, and you can then recommend grants to any qualified public charity like Mary Cariola Center at any time and for any amount. If you own an Individual Retirement Account, or IRA, you can minimize taxes by making qualified charitable distributions (QCDs)—tax-free donations directly to a chosen charity. In 2024, people 70½ or older can donate as much as $105,000; if you’re 73 or older, the amounts can help satisfy your required minimum distributions. Be sure to speak with your financial advisor or tax planner to determine how to best meet your charitable giving goals in the current tax environment. For more information, or to discuss or disclose a gift, please contact Scott Collins at scollins@marycariola.org or (585) 895-7393. | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
