The BAACF concept was sparked by Aaron Callaway who grew up attending schools in Union-Endicott, Johnson City, and Binghamton. Growing up with a single mother who was an art teacher, music teacher, and entrepreneur while struggling to provide financially for a family of 4 certainly left an impression on Aaron. The exposure to the arts his mother provided – whether on the pottery wheel to photography, to architecture, to her pastel work – Aaron’s mother, Genne Cerwonka, also showed him what sacrifice and hard work looks like.

While Aaron was fortunate to have the arts naturally exposed to him, in a single mother family sports were not highlighted. The Greater Binghamton Area provided him, his brother, and his sister with this exposure. While the arts have provided Aaron with a foundation to appreciate how others express themselves, athletics provided him with a base of resiliency and respect. Science proves that the combination of art and athletics help prepare people to face struggle, achieve success, and to learn from it.

Aaron’s hope is that the mission of BAACF is just one piece of many that positively effects the story of many in the Greater Binghamton Area.