For the past 25 years, we have been in attendance as Sullivan Renaissance – now known as Sullivan 180 – hosted its annual awards reception to recognize the hard efforts of our community.

What started out as a beautification program in 2000 to help improve the appearance –and quality of life – of communities throughout Sullivan County has now put its focus on health and wellness.

And don’t be fooled by Sullivan 180’s turtle totem, they and the hundreds of people involved in the group are making great strides to improve Sullivan County’s educational community as well as improving the health of those who protect us, our firemen.

At Wednesday night’s Empowering a Healthier Generation Celebration at Bethel Woods, nearly $150,000 in grants was handed out to Sullivan County’s seven school districts to help them continue improving the lives of our most precious resource – our children.

From outdoor classrooms, to installing salad bars to building a new playground or installing a grab and go breakfast cart, our educational community is focused on improving the lives of our students and helping to succeed in the classroom –and in life.

It was very encouraging to see such a great turnout from our school community, including all seven Superintendents of Schools as well as BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Robert DuFour.

The visionary behind both Sullivan Renaissance and Sullivan 180, Sandra Gerry, gave a special tribute to Dr. DuFour for his long service to the local educational scene as well as his commitment as a board member of Sullivan 180 and encouraging all the schools to partake.

And as Dr. DuFour accepted the award he, in turn, turned his focus to Sandra and Alan Gerry, the moving force behind these organizations, who “put their money where their mouth is” by donating millions of dollars of their own money to help these two organizations succeed.

But even after the 200-plus people in attendance gave Sandra Gerry a standing ovation, she quickly ran back to the podium to point out that this night was not about her and Alan, but all about Dr. DuFour and what he had done.

Quintessential Sandra Gerry – always thanking others for what they have done.

And the great work of the staff of Sullivan 180, led by CEO Denise Frangipane, was also recognized and applauded.

And as the hard-working educators throughout Sullivan County stepped up to the podium to accept their well-deserved awards, it was evident that our children’s future is certainly in good hands.

And for that, we would like to say, thank you to Sandra and Alan for 25 great years.

Your vision has helped us all.