Tannersville — A new initiative aimed at expanding opportunities for local children is beginning to take shape following the official formation of the Mountain Top Youth Commission (MTYC) last September.

The Commission was officially established in September of last year, following an informal meeting between Board members, along with Town Supervisor Sean Mahoney and Town Councilman Ray Legg, to discuss forming a group in response to the request of MTYC Board President Jessica Tompkins-McBride. That conversation ultimately led to the creation of the Commission.

At a Town of Hunter Board meeting, three of the five attending MTYC Board members announced the Commission had been awarded a $7,722 State Grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The MTYC Board Members include: Jessica McBride, President; Amara Reme, Vice President; Sarah Slutzky, Treasurer; Lisa Poole, Secretary; Sarah Pellizzari, Town of Hunter Liaison; and Amber Renner, School/Facilities Liaison.

The grant required Town Board approval, as the Commission must initially pay for sports equipment upfront, with reimbursement to follow from the state. Under the arrangement, the Town Board would cover initial costs through vouchers and later be reimbursed.

The programs would be available to not only Hunter-Tannersville students, but instead be available to anyone in the area, including Windham, and even visitors to the area who have children who fall into the age bracket. McBride said the parents would be responsible for transportation, and that carpooling would be a viable option. 

Town Councilman Ernie Reale asked if the program would be based on ability, or open to all levels of skill. McBride confirmed that it would not be based on skill, which would give all children the opportunity to participate. 

The effort represents a collaboration between Commission Board members and Town of Hunter representatives who have long sought to offer more local opportunities for all children, regardless of their school district. While the concept itself is not new, organizers say it finally came together with the help of newly secured grant funding.

“There are limited, local opportunities for sports and other activities, which means a significant portion of our Mountain Top youth are missing out,” organizers noted. “It is the hope of the Commission that we can provide opportunities to enrich our youth, and lighten the burden on area families who find it difficult to participate in programs off the Mountain, often due to transportation and fiscal constraints.”

The Commission’s stated goal is to introduce children from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade to sports such as basketball, baseball/softball, cheer, and soccer with golf possibly on the horizon. Its broader objective is to establish and maintain a range of sports and enrichment programs that expose Mountaintop youth to new activities.

McBride said that the Commission’s programming will primarily target children from pre-K through sixth grade as it works to build a foundation for youth athletics on the mountaintop.

Town of Hunter Superintendent Sean Mahoney read aloud from the grant acceptance letter issued by NYS OCFS:

“The NYS Office of Children, Youth and Families allocated $20,000 to Greene County for youth sports and education for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. OCFS has approved your application for funding for winter and spring sports for this period, and has awarded your program $7,722 in state aid funding.”

“That’s huge,” Supervisor Mahoney said, prior to commending McBride and the attending Commission Board members for their successful efforts in securing the grant money. Mahoney added, “I want to thank you on behalf of the Town of Hunter for doing this, because it gets the Commission going in a big way.”

Mahoney then asked McBride to outline the Commission’s plans.

“One week would be baseball/softball, one week would be basketball, one week would be cheer, and one week would be soccer… that sort of thing. This funding would allow us to accomplish these weeklong camps,” McBride said. She added the Commission is “working to get the organization operational for this year’s summer camp season.”

“We’re hoping to break participants up into different groups so the younger kids can focus on the introductory skills while the older kids can get into more advanced introductions to sports.”

If you’re interested in the MTYC and the programs it will provide, please contact Tompkins-McBride at mcbride.mtntopyouthcommission@gmail.com.