07.21.19 Maine Chess Association President Michael Dudley and Secretary Wyatt Hendrix teamed up with chess teachers and coaches from New York City to provide chess equipment, coaching, and support to children at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Portland. Here's the illustrated report of the training and workshop.

Thanks to Michael Dudley for contributing to this report.

On June 26, MECA President Michael Dudley and MECA Secretary Wyatt Hendrix traveled to Portland to meet NM Majur Juac and Russ Marofsky, lead coach of the Impact Coaching Network. Juac and Marofsky traveled from New York City to visit Portland, in order to give their advice and expertise about coaching chess and support efforts to bring chess to kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Portland. Donated chess equipment came from many sources around Maine, and those in receipt of that equipment showed their gratitude!

Katie Moore, a volunteer helping to coordinate work at the Portland Expo for asylum-seeking families in Portland, gave the party a tour of The Root Cellar, a community center in Portland helping to coordinate community outreach, activities for kids, and a center for people in need to obtain clothing and baby supplies. After a lunch of Ethiopian cuisine, the four chess players went to work at the Boys' and Girls' Club, delivering chess sets to the Club and instruction to around 15 kids, both from Maine and new to Maine from other countries.

Russ Marofsk (right), lead coach of the Impact Coaching Network, fields a question from one of the participants of the chess training session hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Portland on June 26, 2016.

Students engaged in a variety of activities during the workshop.

The four chess coaches received a tour of the Root Cellar, a community outreach center in Portland.

After a lovely meal at the Red Sea restaurant in Portland...

...a few games of chess were had as preparation for the workshop.

Thanks to Michael Dudley and Wyatt Hendrix for dedicating their time and energy to this important project and to NM Majur Juac and Russ Marofsky for making the trip up from New York City to help support the children of Portland.