--- Issued April 6, 2016

Twenty students from the LECOM Mentoring Club recently took 50 youths  from  the John E. Horan Garden Apartments and Erie Heights YMCA  Kids Clubs to Superhero Night at the Erie Insurance Arena to watch the Erie Bayhawks play.

"It was great  to have so many kids involved," said Cherie Kinem,
director of YMCA Housing Authority Programs.

"Not only were 50 of our children involved, but 20 mentors from LECOM were there as well.  It was awesome! 

"The kids had such a good time and so did the mentors.  A lot of the mentors and kids were in superhero costumes because it was "Superhero Night" held by the Bayhawlks."

The young HACE residents were all given free tickets to the event.

Kinem praised the LECOM volunteers and the LECOM mentoring program: "We have 15 to 20 LECOM students mentoring our children once a week as part of their mentoring program.

"They play games including basketball  and football inside and outside with the kids. In the recent bad weather the mentors took the children on a tour of LECOM."

"The mentors each give an hour a week to us," Kinem said.  "We have so much appreciation for this program.  It's wonderful."

The Bayhawks event was part of the LECOM weekly mentoring program, Kinem said.