For immediate release                                                      March 26, 2001

More than 230 people turned out for the Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation’s annual fundraising gala held on March 10^th at the Tarrytown House. This year’s theme, "2001: An Education Odyssey" helped bring in a record $86 thousand dollars to benefit Dobbs Ferry schools. There was a strong sense of community spirit and support for a school system that is "on the move," as Dobbs Ferry Schools Superintendent, Dr. Sidney Freund, described it. Community residents joined teachers, principals, the school board and Dr. Freund to celebrate the many impressive accomplishments of the Foundation in its relatively short (7 year) tenure.

"This community should be really proud of itself," said Robin Jacobs, who, along with Rita Lieberman, chaired the event. "The support from local merchants, professionals and individuals was terrific. It was a fun party, we made lots of money and I can't wait to see what new initiatives we'll be able to fund."

One of the highlights of the evening was the formal recognition of the 16 Individuals who established the Foundation seven years ago. Richard Cohen, Robert Cohen, Melanie Dobbs, Sally Hammond, Judy Gluckstern, Richard Jacobs, Judy Konowitch, James McCarthy, Stone Phillips, Bernard Schneider, Frances Schneider, Arlene Shaw, Richard Sitman, Eric Sobel, Paul Sterne, and Joe Valvano were honored as the first recipients of a new annual award established in their honor, the Founders Award. This award recognizes an individual or individuals for their vision and generous commitment of resources, energy and time for the benefit of Dobbs Ferry Schools. "Collectively, these individuals created a resource that has benefited our students in ways no one could have predicted," said Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation co-president, Kathy Gevlin. She cited the International Baccalaureate program in the High School, performances and workshops by world-renowned artists, and the Cable TV studio which features student-sponsored programming as key resources that have resulted from Foundation support.

Other highlights of the evening included the silent and live auctions run by Mayor Brian Monahan and former Foundation president, Judy Konowitch. In addition to the ever-popular theater and sports tickets and vacation homes, bidders had the chance to win several unique auction items – including a lunch with the Superintendent and president of the School Board and a trip to the zoo with several Springhurst teachers. "This is the first year we had such strong support from our administrators and faculty in our auctions and it has really made a difference," said Gevlin, noting that the teacher and principal-sponsored auction items brought in top-dollar bids.

All in all, the Foundation has pronounced "2001: An Education Odyssey" an unqualified success. "It was a lot of planning and a lot of work, but in the end, the amazing people on our planning committee made it work. They worked round the clock to be sure all the donations were properly documented for tax and accounting purposes, and to make sure that the event would be fun, beautiful and more profitable than ever. And it was," said Jacobs.

Since its inception in 1994, the Dobbs Ferry Schools Foundation (DFSF) has raised more than 2.7 million dollars through grants and contributions to enhance the education of Dobbs Ferry students. The Foundation encourages and supports good, innovative programs that are endorsed by teachers, administration, the Board and the Superintendent, but that cannot initially be funded by the school budget.