CFK holds Halloween rodeo event and fundraiser at Sleepy Hollow Cattle Ranch

Hundreds of supporters and visitors attended Contractors For Kids' (CFK) Cowboy-themed Halloween event and horsemanship show at the Sleepy Hollow Cattle Ranch. CFK is a greater N.Y. charity focused on providing financial assistance to families that face hardships due to an illness or death of a child. The non-profit is supported by more than 300 real estate, construction, architecture, engineering, and financial organizations in the greater N.Y. area. The family event took place at a real-life cattle ranch, operated by a Missouri-raised cattleman and bareback bronco rodeo competitor, Shane Ely, and his wife Jennifer Stokes. The Halloween fun included rider-and-horse costume classes and parade, cattle-roping shows and competitions, horsemanship classes for children and adults, barrel and dash racing, egg-and-spoon riding races, pony rides, a swap meet, and a Chinese auction of baskets donated by local businesses. Attendees enjoyed free BBQ food and bid on gift baskets donated by sponsors, which included Stalco Construction, the Long Island Aquarium, Jo-Mark Installations, and Gramercy Wrecking as well as Stalco and Sleepy Hollow Ranch employees, friends, and their families. 100% of the proceeds benefited Contractors For Kids. Founded in 2005 by Kevin Harney and Alan Nahmias of Stalco, CFK has, to date, raised over $4 million from its supporters and assisted nearly 400 families. The non-profit serves as a financial lifeline after families have exhausted all other resources. The organization offers help extending beyond the payment of medical bills. "We have reimbursed travel costs related to cutting-edge treatments unavailable locally and provided aid to families unable to submit mortgage payments due to healthcare-related expenses. We also assist parents faced with the heartbreaking task of making funeral arrangements for their children," said Harney. CFK recently aided a family of a 13-year-old boy suffering from multiple medical conditions, including a seizure disorder, mitochondrial disease, and a tumor behind an eye. After the boy's mother quit her job to care for him, the father's income became insufficient to cover all of the ongoing living expenses. CFK helped the family avert bankruptcy and loss of their home by paying a mortgage installment as well as utility bills. In another recent case, the organization helped a family of a 10-year-old boy suffering from neuroblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. Local hospitals were unable to help the little patient, however, a clinic in Texas offered to perform an experimental treatment. CFK provided funds that helped the family travel to Texas and pay for the cost of medical procedures. The treatment reduced the size of the boy's tumor. CFK also assisted a single mother of a five-year old boy awaiting a heart transplant. The mother and her child, who had already undergone three open-heart surgeries, spent many hours on a public bus commuting more than 30 miles twice a week to the Stony Brook University Medical Center for medical procedures. CFK purchased a car for the young mother. The following year, after the property in which the family rented an apartment had been foreclosed, CFK associates raised monies sufficient for two years of rent in a new apartment. To support CFK and learn about the organization's activities and upcoming events, please visit www.contractorsforkids.org or call 1-888-208-KIDS.