Friends of Hudson Youth

02/15/2026

Another incredible YDBL season wrapped! 🏀
Winter weekends in the gym with this crew never get old and we’re grateful to be part of this community tradition.

Huge thanks to our volunteer coaches who show up week after week with energy and heart, to Peter Galgani for documenting all the action, HCSD for providing the courts, and to our amazing sponsors who make this program possible. Here’s to everyone who made this season shine! 🧡

Hall of Fame Sponsor:


Championship Sponsors:


Janney



All Star Sponsors:

Todd Farrell’s Car Care
Hudson Elk’s Lodge


ski.bike

02/11/2026

Join us for Growing Oakdale, our inaugural gala with our Presenting Sponsor on April 25th. Help us celebrate Oakdale Park’s legacy and build its future.

A limited number of sponsorships and host committee tickets are still available but they’re going fast! Register today at www.hudsonyouth.org/gala.

Your support funds the summer programs where young people thrive and the conservation work that protects this space for decades to come.

Thankyou and Peter Galgani for contributed images

Send a message to learn more

01/16/2026

🌱Mark your calendars!
Join us April 25 for our first-ever Growing Oakdale Gala with our Presenting Sponsor, Pocketbook Hudson Hotel and Baths.

Come celebrate Oakdale Park’s legacy with cocktails, dinner, and the people who make our community thrive. This night is all about honoring the past and investing in the future — youth development, green spaces, and the connections that make Hudson special.

Every dollar raised goes directly to creating safe, inspiring programs and spaces where Hudson’s young people can grow, learn, and belong.

Let’s make this night count 💚

Become a sponsor or make a donation to support the night — link in bio.

12/17/2025

We’re so close…thanks to your incredible generosity, we’ve raised more than $20,000 toward our $25,000 goal. We’re less than $5,000 away from unlocking a matching gift and reaching our year-end target🫶🏽

Every dollar we raise helps grow the next generation of leaders. Many of the lifeguards and counselors this past summer grew up at the Youth Department. They came back to take on new responsibilities and become the role models younger kids look up to. That’s how leadership grows: today’s campers become tomorrow’s mentors.

Leadership development requires deep and sustained investment. We can’t take a year off. We’re already working with the Youth Department to plan for 2026, ensuring summer staff, guest teachers and community coaches can be there all year.��⏰We only have 14 days left. Will you make a gift today?

https://hudsonyouth.kindful.com/?campaign=1386625

��Every gift is matched dollar for dollar through December 31. Reaching our goal ensures Hudson kids have the leadership, mentorship, and programs they count on in 2026.

12/05/2025

🎬Packed house and wonderful energy last night at the premier of HERE WE GROW. Friends of Hudson Youth was so proud to share this beautiful documentary by about the Hudson Youth Department and the impact it’s had, and continues to have, on youth in our community.

Thank you to our panel, , Todd Smith, Pat Maloy, and Calvin Lewis for their participation both in the film and at our event. It’s inspiring to see what can happen when we come together and share our stories across generations.

Shoutout to our partners and and everyone who helped bring the film to life.

If you missed the screening it’s now available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Sat-uYpbf1c?si=1m-bzmJK3jjNXcbl. (Link in bio)

12/01/2025

Space is limited for this special screening of HERE WE GROW on Thursday December 4th at 5:30pm at the Spark Building (502 Union) - please register today at the link in bio.

Presented by Friends of Hudson Youth, , and , this new documentary by captures the voices of generations of Hudson kids who’ve grown up , a place where young people learn, belong, and grow into leaders.

A panel discussion with filmmaker Karl Mattson and local leaders Calvin Lewis, Pat Maloy, Sheriff-elect Jackie Salvatore and Todd Smith will follow the screening.

11/25/2025

ribbon cutting…a beautiful celebration of this exquisitely reinvented property!

Friends of Hudson Youth X Pocketbook have some very exciting collaborations planned for 2026….stay tuned!

11/22/2025

Don’t miss the premier of HERE WE GROW on Thursday December 4th @5:30pm at the Spark Building (502 Union).

This new documentary by captures the voices of people who’ve grown up at the Hudson Youth Department and explores how this institution continues to shape Hudson today.

For generations, the has been a place where kids learn, belong, and grow into leaders.

Friends of Hudson Youth is proud to present this special screening and discussion with our partners and .

Please register for this free event. Seating is limited.
https://sparkofhudson.org/upcoming-events/here-we-grow-a-film-about-the-hudson-youth-center�

Music by

11/11/2025

For generations, the Hudson Youth Department has been a place where kids learn, belong, and grow into leaders.

HERE WE GROW is new documentary by that captures the voices of people who grew up at the Youth Department and explores how this institution continues to shape Hudson today.

Friends of Hudson Youth is proud to present a special screening and discussion with our partners and .

Please register at the link in bio for this free event.

Tuesday December 4th at 5:30pm at Spark of Hudson, 502 Union Street, Hudson.

Photos: Peter Galgani

11/06/2025

HERE WE GROW: A film about the Hudson Youth Department, where generations of Hudson’s kids have found a safe space to grow, play, learn, and belong.

Friends of Hudson Youth is proud to present a special screening and discussion of this new documentary by , presented with our partners and .

Please register at the link in bio for this free event.

Tuesday December 4th at 5:30pm at Spark of Hudson, 502 Union Street, Hudson.

Photos: Peter Galgani

10/31/2025

🎃This month, the crew got into the Halloween spirit with The Crayons Trick or Treat by Drew Daywalt! 🖍️✨ Through our Read Aloud/Think Aloud Program, students followed along as the Crayons geared up for their big night out — learning magic words, showing off their fun costumes, sparking imagination and conversation 👻.

The fun didn’t stop at storytime! The group got to create their own crayons and spooky cutouts, like pumpkins and ghosts, bringing the story to life while expressing themselves and practicing fine motor skills. It was hands-on Halloween magic that brought the story off the page! ✂️🎨

And everyone took home their very own copy of the book to keep the reading fun going, thanks to our amazing friends ! 🧡📚