Gridiron Golfers

Several retired professional football players will be golfing and socializing at The Matheny School’s “Par-Tee on the Links” golf tournament being held on Tuesday, September 27, at the Oak Hill Golf Club in Milford, NJ. The appearance of the former NFL players was coordinated by Dave Szott, director of player development for the New York Jets, who was an offensive lineman for the Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins. Szott is also the father of Matheny resident, Shane Szott, and a member of Matheny’s Board of Trustees.

Other past players who will be in attendance are: Tony Richardson, fullback for several NFL teams and former New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers center Bart Oates.

Funds raised at the golf tournament will support technology for Matheny’s students — children with multiple disabilities. The tournament will begin at 11 a.m. with registration and a shotgun start. Cost is $175 per person, or $650 for a foursome. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information or to register, call (908) 234-0011, ext. 239, or email mathenyschool@matheny.org. the Oak Hill Golf Club is located at 15 Fernwood Road in Milford.

In November 2015, volunteers from Pfizer, one of the world’s premier biopharmaceutical companies, totally refurbished Matheny’s therapy room, replacing the sink, repairing and painting walls and trim, replacing protective wall coverings, building and installing computer tables, installing window treatments, and replacing an accordion door that is used to divide the large area.

Another group of Pfizer employees, many of whom work at the Peapack, NJ-based Pfizer facility thay is practically next door to Matheny, repaired and painted Matheny’s pole barn – a large structure that houses a woodshop and storage for equipment used by our facilities department. In June 2016, Pfizer’s summer interns – college students from around the country – did a complete makeover of Matheny’s adapted baseball field, installing pavers in the dugouts, completely resurfacing the field, and installing a beautiful new scoreboard.

Pfizer college interns completed a makeover of Matheny’s adapted baseball field.

Pfizer donated all of the resources for these projects. In addition, many Pfizer employees volunteer at Matheny throughout the year, and the company offers Matheny the use of its parking garage during our annual fundraiser and community event, Miles for Matheny.

“I love what you are doing. You have leveled the playing field in creativity by the processes you use.” That was the reaction of Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who visited Matheny’s Arts Access Program on July 25th, along with U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance and Nick Paleologos, chair of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Rep. Lance and the NEA’s Jane Chu look at a script based on the Mortal Kombat video game being written by Arts Access artist Chris Saglimbene, right.

From left, Eileen Murray, Nick Paleologos, Jane Chu, Rep. Leonard Lance, and Kendell R. Sprott, MD, JD, Matheny president and CEO.

Eileen Murray, director of Arts Access,  explained the art facilitation method, emphasizing that, “every creative choice is in the hands of the artists. The facilitators never interject their personal style.” Then, Chu, Lance, and Paleologos visited with several artists and observed them at work with their facilitators. Arts Access is a unique fine arts program enabling individuals with disabilities to fully express themselves in the creative arts.  Lance, who is co-chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus, concluded that, “We look to Matheny to lead the way. Keep up your fine work.”

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The investment banking company, Goldman Sachs, made Matheny part of its “Community Team Works” project several years ago through the efforts of Bernardsville, NJ, resident Pam Cembrook, who, at the time, was president of The Friends of Matheny. Her husband, John, is a Goldman Sachs executive, and he put together a team of volunteers who cheerfully weed, rake, mulch, and plant.

Goldman Sachs volunteers return every year to weed, rake, mulch, and plant in Matheny’s courtyard.

The Goldman Sachs CTW team returns to Matheny every year to refresh our courtyard and other gardens, always adding a few new touches. The company not only donates the muscle, but it also funds the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies.  Thanks, Goldman Sachs, for your continuing support!

When Shane Szott was born on February 6, 1995, in Independence, MO, he was particularly fussy and initially diagnosed with severe colic and reflux. By the time he was four or five months old, the doctors continued to say he was just developmentally delayed, but, when he reached 10 months of age, the diagnosis had changed to cerebral palsy.

Shane’s parents, Dave and Andrea Szott, first heard about Matheny from Dave’s cousin, Adam Kuehn, MD, an anatomical pathologist. The Szotts were still living in Missouri while Dave was playing football for the Kansas City Chiefs, “but when we came to visit our family in New Jersey,” Andrea Szott recalled, “we stopped by to see Matheny. I thought it was a nice school, but I also felt that maybe it wasn’t right for Shane at that time. I also believed that I would never consider a residential facility for my son.”

The Szotts moved back to New Jersey when Shane was turning five. Within a few months of the move, his diagnosis was changed to,“CP with epilepsy and autistic tendencies. He became very frustrated and non-cooperative. The stress was intense, and we started researching respite care at Matheny. We did a second night of respite within that same year, and it became clear that Matheny and its staff were well qualified and equipped to care for Shane. We then put Shane on the wait list, and, shortly afterwards, received the call that a bed had opened.”

Shane at graduation with physical therapist Glenn Stackhouse, left, and paraprofessional  Carlos Nieves.

After Shane was admitted to Matheny on December 30, 2005, the Szotts continued to have him come home to Morristown, NJ, on weekends. One Sunday evening when they were bringing him back to Matheny, “He cheered and hollered and pointed to school. I looked at him and asked in disbelief if he was happy to be back at school, and he shouted, ‘Yeah!’ and had a big smile on his face. At that point, I realized that Shane was enjoying his new environment, and that he was truly happy. The team effort at Matheny is what truly propels these children forward beyond anyone’s imagination. The therapists work with the teachers, and the teachers work with the paraprofessionals, and the paras work with the personal care assistants. And, the parents’ input is accepted and taken into consideration.  Shane still loves to come home and visit,” Szott said, “but at the end of the day, he signs, ‘All done’, and that means he’s ready to go back to his other home. He is cared for with love and patience, and his life is full and very blessed.”

Elizabeth Connolly, acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, and Elizabeth M. Shea, assistant commissioner of the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities, visited  Matheny on June 30 to learn more about our Arts Access Program, which enables individuals with disabilities to fully express themselves in the creative arts.

During the visit, Eileen Murray, director of the Arts Access Program, explained how artists with disabilities are assisted by professional artists, who act as their facilitators. The facilitators offer the artists a variety of choices, but, Murray emphasized, “they must remain neutral, with no preconceptions.”  Facilitators, she added, are required to go through “a stringent training process.”  The process, she said, requires a great deal of patience, and “choice is at the heart of the program. Every facilitator,” she said, “needs to be a professional artist, but not every professional artist can be a facilitator.”

From left, Elizabeth M. Shea, assistant commissioner of the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities; Elizabeth Connolly, acting commissioner of the NJ Department of Human Services; and Arts Access artist Yasin Reddick.

From left, Elizabeth M. Shea, assistant commissioner, the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities; Elizabeth Connolly, acting commissioner of the NJ Department of Human Services; Andrew Edge, Arts Access visual arts coordinator; Edana Desatnick, co-chair of Matheny’s Board of Trustees; and Eileen Murray, director of the Arts Access Program.

Shea wondered if the philosophy of the Arts Access facilitation process “could be translated to choices about other things, food choices, for example.” Murray explained that, “the process is for art, but it could be used for anything.”  Connolly and Shea also toured Matheny’s hospital and school, after which Connolly concluded that, “This is a happy place.”

Art Garden CSA is a Community Supported Arts Program to connect emerging artists with disabilities and local art collectors. It is a collaboration between Matheny’s Arts Access Program and Arts Unbound, made possible by a Community Employment Grant from the Kessler Foundation.

Ten artists – five from Arts Access and five from Arts Unbound – were selected to participate in the program. Each artist was required to create 25 pieces of art, ranging from paintings, jewelry, small sculptures, wearable art, photography, and more. From this, 25 shares of art, each containing 10 pieces of art and selling for $500, were offered for sale to art collectors.

Sherry Maklary, a resident of Long Valley, NJ, picked up her Art Garden share and met Arts Access/Art Garden artists Ellen Kane, left, and Cindy Shanks. They are in front of Kane’s “The Moving”, left, and Shanks’ “I Cannot Look Back”.

Vincent Barba, Matheny vp of patient safety, and his wife, Theresa, picked up their Art Garden share and spent some time with Arts Access/Art Garden artists Jess Evans and James Lane.

On Sunday, June 26, the first “pickup” event was held at Matheny’s Robert Schonhorn Arts Center, and several of the share purchasers came to claim their artwork and to meet the artists.  Eileen Murray, director of the Arts Access Program, expressed, “a huge thank you to the Kessler Foundation. They made this happen.”  Art Garden, she added, “was the seed of an idea by Celene Ryan, Arts Unbound director of artist development.”  Then, Murray introduced the Arts Access artists, and Ryan recognized the Arts Unbound artists.