May 21, 2014:  Ernie Richardson has taken over as head coach of the struggling Mount Vernon boys' baseball team. Coming off a winless season in 2013, Coach Richardson has a long road ahead of him rebuilding the Knights' program. But the first step he took in developing the athletes he needs to win games was a grand-slam home run. Coach Richardson heeded the advice of his athletic director, Hall of Fame boys' basketball coach Bob Cimmino, and sought the help of a Bronxville-based volunteer group called Destination: College.

Destination: College, which will be holding its annual fundraising dinner on Tuesday, June 3, at the Bronxville Field Club, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since 2007, it has been helping underserved student athletes in nearby communities advance from high school to college. Through programs ranging from weekly reading groups, SAT prep courses, college application assistance, and mentoring, Destination: College has helped send athletes from area high schools to colleges throughout the country, including Hamilton College, Morehouse College, Rutgers University, SUNY Purchase, and West Point. Coach Richardson wants to build a program that builds the character of young men and recognized that Destination: College could help him do just that.

At Coach Richardson's request, board chair Nancy McKenna asked Bronxville resident Fern Watters to serve as the program head, and together they built a team of volunteers including Lissie Flanagan, Vandy Walker, and Linda D'Arcy from Bronxville, Emily Kirschbaum and Randi Rossignol from Scarsdale, and Lisa Kiernan from Pelham to work with the Mount Vernon Knights. However, the team presented a special challenge for the program because many of the players speak Spanish as a first language. Fortunately, bilingual Bronxville resident Cira Marmolejos recognized the rewards of working with this group of young men, signed on to help, and invited Gladys Perez, also of Bronxville, to join the team.

Since February, these dedicated volunteers have worked weekly with about 40 young athletes providing small group reading sessions and individual tutoring. Already they have begun to build the mentoring relationships Destination: College is known for and are helping players maintain eligibility. While there is still much work to be done, Coach Richardson and the Knights have already won three games and will not be winless this year.

To attend the annual fundraising dinner and meet many of Destination: College's student athletes, coaches, and volunteers, or for more information about donating to or volunteering for Destination: College, contact Nancy McKenna at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Pictured here:  Fern Watters and Coach Ernie Richardson.

Photo by Rick Rugani