Erin Cornelius, left, Katie Prechtl Cooke, and Ann Ayers Ritacco and her husband Mark Ritacco, not pictured, lead fundraising initiatives to support youth programming, including the purchase of a new gagaball pit at Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
PATRICIA BEAGLE
Staff writer
Katie Prechtl Cooke, Erin Cornelius, Ann Ayers Ritacco and her husband Mark Ritacco have joyful memories from Children’s School, Boys’ and Girls’ Club and the Youth Activities Center. Those feelings continue to grow through the experiences of their children. These parents now collaborate on grassroots fundraising for Children’s School, Club and the YAC.
Mark introduced Ann to Chautauqua and encouraged her to apply to work at Club, which serves second through tenth graders. Mark attended Children’s School and Club. Both worked as counselors. They married in Chautauqua, and their sons Ryan, Tate, Patrick and Nicholas have been immersed in Chautauqua Youth & Family Programs.
Erin Cornelius, a member of the Branch family, attended Children’s School and Club and later worked at Children’s School. Her sons Harrison and Finn attended Children’s School and are now in Club.
Katie Prechtl Cooke met her husband, Kevin Cooke, through Chautauqua friends. She has been a volunteer for the Chautauqua Fund and is a past chair of the NOW Generation group of philanthropic 21- to 40-year-old Chautauquans. Their children, Ethan, Abby and Caroline, are incredibly involved in Club.
These community-oriented parents share a deep Chautauqua bond. Their fundraising efforts began more than 20 years ago when the Ritaccos’ 1-year-old son, Timothy, died from Sandhoff disease; caring friends organized a Chautauqua basketball tournament to raise funds in Timothy’s memory.
Assistant Teacher Daphne Flerl helps students Miggie Valentine and Jack Gordon decorate thank-you letters to youth programming donors Wednesday in the Children’s School’s Red Room.
“It took my breath away,” Ayers Ritacco recalled. “I just felt held. All of those people gathered, and the future came alive again.”
Annual fundraisers continued, and the Ritaccos arranged for the creation and endowment of Timothy’s Playground in Miller Park. “Timothy missed out on Children’s School and Club,” Ayers Ritacco shared. “What if we put joy back into the world to bring laughter, smiles and memories to families with their kids?” She added, “It felt perfect.”
In 2020, Cornelius was asked to work on a youth advisory committee organized by then-President Michael Hill. That work increased her awareness of the financial needs of Youth & Family Programs at Chautauqua.
“The magic of Chautauqua for kids is the freedom to navigate relationships and friendships on your own,” she explained. “It is the relationships that bring people back here. I am still very close with friends I made at Club. You want to perpetuate these fond memories for your kids.”
When financial issues threatened evening activities at the YAC, Prechtl Cooke said she felt that keeping the YAC open in the evening was important. She recalled saying, “We can solve this problem.”
Prechtl Cooke, Cornelius and the Ritaccos worked their contacts and held a barn party and silent auction — they raised $10,000 quickly. They went on to work with Debbie Moore, executive director of the Chautauqua Foundation, to set up the Al Dibs Endowment for the YAC to protect future evening YAC operations. Moore educated them on how endowments work and how Chautauqua safeguards the funds. “Debbie helped guide us to a better way for what we were trying to accomplish,” Cornelius said.
Through the help of many hands and donations from more than 100 individuals, the group went on to raise $250,000 for the Dibs endowment. Al Dibs, director of the YAC, was overwhelmed. “I can’t say enough about the people who put this together,” he said. “They enabled us to stay open in the evening for the children. It is so satisfying to do something so appreciated by so many people.”
That success further energized the four parents. They went on to set up the Kit Trapasso Endowment for Children’s School and the Greg and Linda Prechtl Endowment for Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Their objective is to enhance the experiences of children in these programs. “We have a goal of $1 million for each endowment,” Prechtl Cooke said.
Ayers Ritacco recalled setting the goal in hopes of providing substantial support for the endowments. “Let’s do a million,” Ayers Ritacco said, “because that’s how much we love these places.”
Moore praised the group’s passionate support of youth programs. “These programs have been a cornerstone of the Chautauqua experience for generations of families, including my own,” she said. “Endowment ensures that these cherished programs will continue to enrich the lives of children and families for generations to come.”
Alyssa Porter, director of Community Education & Youth programs, praised the initiative and hard work of the parents.
“These donations are building a strong foundation for youth and family programs at Chautauqua,” she explained. “They have supported evening ‘YACtivities,’ new arts and crafts maker tools for Children’s School and a permanent gagaball pit for Club. When funds permit, our leaders plan to improve recreation areas such as the playground at Children’s School.”
Kit Trapasso, longtime director of Children’s School, is deeply touched by the endowment efforts and said he feels that the funds will help to keep Children’s School educational and welcoming. Trapasso’s kindness toward the 3- to 6-year-olds is legendary, and he boosts the confidence of children. “We include every art at Chautauqua to build a sense of awareness to cultural activities in children,” he explained. “And we encourage children to make friends.”
Trapasso also works to create a comfortable transition from Children’s School to Club. “Group One” first graders spend mornings at Children’s School and afternoons at Club.
Recalling Cornelius’ work with Group One children, Trapasso said, “Erin was a great organizer with a good sense of what needed to happen next. She was skilled at how to transition children to Club.” He also pointed out that young staff members hoping to work in education learn a lot working at Children’s School.
Greg and Linda Prechtl are also very appreciative of the endowment in their names for the benefit of Boys’ and Girls’ Club. As director, Greg (respectfully called “Coach” at Club) described the pleasure in seeing clubbers having fun, acquiring new skills and building lifelong friendships.
Noah D. Kasbar writes a thank-you letter to youth programming donors Wednesday at Chautauqua at Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
“The real joy is knowing that this fund will provide an even better experience for all who attend. The endowment will help us purchase supplies, improve play spaces and retain key talent,” he said. “Club helps young people grow and develop a love of Chautauqua at an early age.”
Linda added, “We have the distinct privilege of getting to know kids at Club from the time they are 6 to maturing and working as counselors. The most amazing and rewarding thing is seeing so many kids form friendships.” Linda described seeing excited 7-year-olds biking to Club upon arrival on a Saturday, singing the Club song and rushing to look at the week’s schedule.
For more than 40 years, Trapasso, Dibs and the Prechtls have been devoted and caring toward the children and young staff under their supervision. As the first boss of many teens, they have taught hundreds of young people how to be good employees and role models and how to lead others. Greg knows these four parents from their own work in Chautauqua’s youth programs. He said he is proud that they have grown to be incredibly bright, organized, energetic parents who are generous with time and talents.
These parents continue to organize annual kickball fundraisers with the help of many Chautauquans. They work their contact lists and send messages outlining ways to give. They are even encouraging children and counselors to write thank-you notes to donors.
“We are building our future,” Ayers Ritacco said.
Cornelius praised her fellow fund-raisers. “Mark and Ann are the best people in the world. They are incredibly inclusive and creative,” she said. “They are all good connectors. Katie is so positive and makes things happen quickly.”
Prechtl Cooke described multi-generational relationships she and her children have had through Club, becoming close to friends’ parents and grandparents. “My house is a hub,” she said. “Kids come in and out without knocking and go into the refrigerator and have conversations with us. It makes me so happy.”
Katie Prechtl Cooke explained that anyone can support these funds by donating to Chautauqua Foundation and specifying the Dibs, Trapasso or Prechtl endowment. The endowments are nowhere near their million-dollar goals yet, but more than 160 individual donors have participated so far. “Donations can be small but mighty,” Cornelius said. “There is strength in numbers.”
Prechtl Cooke spoke with nostalgia about her own moments in the Girls’ Club facility. “When you smell that building, you are transported back to being 8 years old with a lanyard in your hand, on those same benches,” she said with a wistful smile. “What better way is there to support the vibrancy of a community than investing in youth programs! Our children are the future of Chautauqua.”
