(Main Picture Meaghan, Susan and Mark). Two things that Andy Koschok really loved in life were kids and golf. In combining those two loves, Andy, who was a dedicated employee of the region’s water and wastewater systems, created a tournament with funds going to local children’s charities.  After running the tournament for 30 years, Andy passed away and a group of dedicated volunteers stepped forward to carry on in Andy’s memory. They appropriately renamed the event the Andy Koschok Memorial.

Since its inception 44 years ago, the tournament has helped many different charities that operate within the Region. In 2015, the tournament was looking for an organization that could most utilize the money generated from the event and Bethesda emerged front and centre.

With the main purpose of enhancing the lives of both adults and children with special needs, Bethesda is an organization that has continued to develop and make an impact since its establishment in 1937. From 2008 to 2014, Bethesda adopted seven new children’s programs, most of which are focused on treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other special needs.  The demand is actually increasing as more families seek a diagnosis for their child through Bethesda’s services. In response, Bethesda has expanded its service mandates, now serves over 1,000 children and youth with ASD or other special need, and currently has over 900 families on a wait list.

In 2013, Bethesda moved forward with plans to construct a new Family Centre at 3310 Schmon Parkway. Bethesda is committed to constructing a 27,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art building that will benefit the staff, children and their families that access our services for support.

 

 

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The money generated from the Andy Koschuck Memorial has been key to helping with the expensive specialized equipment that programming will require once the doors open this summer!

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