Caring gift by grieving father.
Jim Serba (right) presents a cheque for $22,000 to Silver Creek Pre-School, this year’s recipient of funds raised at The Mike Serba Memorial Golf Tournament. The integrated school provides specialized therapeutic assistance to children with physical and developmental disabilities. Pictured with Serba are, from the left, Danny Polito, Jeff Pascoe and Mike Sheridan – Mike’s pals who help run the golf tournament. Looking on are Gail Penington, president of the board, Suheyb, Tristan and Talie.
Staff photo/ IAN KELSO
It's a father's gift to honour his late son's love of children.
Jim Serba recently donated $22,000 - proceeds from this year's annual Mike Serba Memorial Golf Tournament - to Silver Creek Preschool.
Since 1975, the specialized, therapeutic preschool in central Etobicoke has offered physio, occupational, speech and language and music therapy to children ages two to five.
"It's hard to keep a dry eye when you see what goes on at Silver Creek," Serba said. "It really is an amazing place. In addition to the really great work they do with the kids, it gives parents a bit of a break."
Silver Creek serves children with physical disabilities, developmental or communication delays or who are at risk of delays due to premature birth, as well as "typically developing" children.
The tournament remembers Serba's son, Mike, who was killed Nov. 25, 2006 after being hit in the head with a brick in a covered laneway connecting Bloor Street West to the Jane subway station.
"It helps me. It helps keep Mike's memory alive," Serba said of the golf tournament (www.imissmike.com) that has attracted hockey legends including former Maple Leafs Johnny Bower, Bill Derlago, Mark Osborne, Gary Leeman and Mike Pelyk.
"We're so grateful that people going through such grief reach out and help the community - it's very inspiring for us. It gives us shivers," Silver Creek's executive director Susan Kawa said of Serba's donation.
It is the only preschool of its kind in the city's west end, Kawa said.
Silver Creek's vision - to empower children to inspire themselves and others.
"All the children have skills. We're working to bring out the best in each child," Kawa said. "To do it in a fun, happy and playful way because the work of children is play."
Funding is critical. While the city provides the award-winning preschool some operating funds, it must raise more than $120,000 annually, in addition to tuition paid by parents, to maintain its existing programs and services, Kawa said.
Transportation is "prohibitively" expensive. A walker or stander costs $5,000 each on average.
"We're not standing still. If there's a new theory out there, a course we should be on, new equipment, new therapeutic techniques, we want to see if it would be helpful for our children to support their cognitive, physical and developmental needs," Kawa said.
There is a wait list. See www.silvercreekpreschool.com
At 25, Mike Serba was an elite U.S. hockey college captain completing his MBA at Norwich University in Vermont.
In court, Nicholas Crowdis, a high-school dropout plagued with mental health and substance abuse problems, confessed to smashing Serba's face with a brick then stomping on him as he lay on the ground.
A jury found Crowdis guilty of manslaughter; he had been charged with second-degree murder.
In September, a judge sentenced Crowdis to be designated a long-term offender with "intense supervision" for 10 years once he is released from prison. Credit for time served makes Crowdis eligible for release in four years.