The Houseman Recreation Center Advisory Council last week was recognized as one of the 10 winners of Temple Health’s $10,000 Charity Donation Contest.
In all, there were about 250 nominations, with Temple employees nominating organizations in which they are involved.
Ed Drayton, supervisor for Temple community health workers, nominated the advisory council at Houseman, located at 5091 Summerdale Ave.
“The neighborhood means a lot to me,” he said. “I keep fighting.”
Drayton was overjoyed when he learned the advisory council was a winner.
“I was so happy. I’m grateful to Temple for all they do,” he said. “They are a hundred percent in, all the time. This is icing on the cake.”
Drayton said the advisory council does so many things, including securing reversible jerseys for basketball players and keeping the peace.
“Houseman is still a place that’s safe to come,” he said. “We’ve resolved so many issues that could have escalated or snowballed to violence.”
Drayton is happy that Houseman’s gym is getting a much-needed new floor. He said the advisory council plans to use the money on things such as a gym scoreboard, a bingo machine and movie nights and game nights.
At the Feb. 21 ceremony, Drayton was joined by his wife, Denise, a Temple nursing assistant, and Darius Holman, vice president of the advisory council and head of the Purpose Basketball training program.
Drayton, known to many as “Coach Ed,” was also recently featured on Fox 29 news as a winner of its “You’re Awesome” initiative, winning $1,000 for serving as a father figure in the neighborhood and organizing a community day, among other things.
John Lasky, Temple Health’s Chief Human Resources Officer for Temple Health, emceed the Charity Donation Contest program.
Other winners were Healthcare Wellness; Bethesda Project; Be a Part of the Conversation, a nonprofit that helps substance abusers; Collective Success Network, which helps people go from college to careers; Family Promise of Philadelphia, an eviction-prevention organization; Lifecycles Health Center; Prevention Point; Sunday Love Project; and Tioga United. ••
