LEAP Dinner Breaks Records

LEAP’s annual LEAP Year Event broke its own records this past week. Over 390 people participated in the annual fundraiser for the youth agency, joining a reception at Hopkins School and then attending one of 30 dinners at local homes and restaurants across Greater New Haven.

LEAP honored founding board member Louise Endel, who for 24 years has served on LEAP’s board, working hard for children, introducing hundreds of supporters to the organization and mentoring LEAPers over multiple generations. Former Mayor John DeStefano presented Endel with a large photo of hundreds of LEAP children enjoying themselves at the LEAP Read-In on the New Haven Green.

Nikilia Reid, principal of Highville High School in New Haven, was LEAP’s keynote speaker. She described how she is happy to host LEAP children from Newhallville and Dixwell in LEAP’s after school program at her school. She recalled how she herself joined LEAP as a summer job while a college student in Atlanta. She made the trip up to New Haven, not knowing even whether she would like working with kids. It turned out she not only enjoyed working with kids but was really good at it. So after a few years at LEAP as a counselor and resource coordinator, she became a school teacher. She described how many of the girls she worked with at LEAP stay in touch with her now that they are adults, often sending messages from far off around the world.

This year the gold sponsors for LEAP Year were: the New Haven Building Trades Council, Hap and Stacey Perkins, Sportech Ventures, Joel Zackin and Celeste Suggs.

All proceeds from the event cover LEAP’s programs with children, thanks to the families who give over their homes for dinners, restaurants that donate food, and guests of honor who donate their time, knowledge and expertise.