NYP Hudson Valley Sponsors 2021 Volunteer Spirit Awards

Volunteer New York! has announced that NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital has joined Entergy and Retirement Transformed as Platinum Sponsors of the organization’s 41st Annual Volunteer Spirit Awards Breakfast Benefit that will be presented virtually on Friday, April 9, 2021 from 9 AM – 10 AM. For more details and to reserve your free tickets, visit volunteernewyork.org/awards.

In addition to the 2021 Volunteer Spirit Award recipients that will be celebrated for their outstanding and exceptional efforts as local volunteers, an annual Legacy Award will also be presented by the Volunteer New York! Board of Directors. This year’s Legacy Award honoree is Deborah Fay of Entergy.

"NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital is proud to support Volunteer New York! in honoring Deborah Fay of Entergy and all of this year's award winners for their tireless volunteer service to our community," said Stacey Petrower, President of NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital. “We’re deeply grateful to Deb Fay and Entergy for all of their support over the years, including throughout this pandemic.”

The Legacy Award is a special category that goes to a business or civic leader who has made a personal and professional commitment to volunteerism, has significantly supported the values and mission of Volunteer New York!, and who encourages deep employee and community engagement in service.

Previous honorees, now members of the Volunteer New York! Legacy Circle, include: Betty Cotton, Markham F. Rollins, III, Matthew G. McCrosson, George Troyano, Geri Shapiro, Albert (Doug) Rogers and the Gallin Family.

For the thousands of past attendees, the Volunteer Spirit Awards are viewed as one of the most inspiring, don’t-miss and talked about events in the region. Last year’s inaugural live-streaming event proved that the magic of this celebration could still be shared and felt throughout our community virtually, as viewership totaled over ten times the attendance of past sold-out in-person Volunteer Spirit Award events.

“We are proud of the spirit of volunteerism in our community, the urgency to give back and help others during times of need has been at an all-time high throughout this pandemic,” said Volunteer New York! Executive Director, Jeanette Gisbert. “The Volunteer Spirit Awards is the time we come together from across all sectors and backgrounds to appreciate the generous role volunteers play in our community.”

Gisbert continued, “This annual benefit is also critical to ensuring Volunteer New York! has the resources it needs as an organization so that it can best serve the community we love -- as it has for over the past 70 years.”

This year’s Volunteer Spirit Awards is also generously supported by Award Presenter Sponsors, which include Con Edison, MAG Real Estate Advisors, Inc., PCSB Bank, PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP, Regeneron, and WMCHealth; as well as Gold Sponsor, The Gallin Family; Journal Sponsor, Regeneron; Video Sponsor, Webster Bank; Bronze Sponsors, which include Brown & Brown of New York, Inc., Mastercard, Sterling National Bank, and White Plains Hospital and Burke Rehabilitation Hospital; and Virtual Breakfast Menu Sponsor, The Martínez-López Family; these local corporations and community supporters have made it possible to offer this year’s annual awards presentation at no cost to our community.

Tickets and event sponsorship opportunities are currently available online at volunteernewyork.org/awards as well as a ticketed new special post-event networking reception event that begins after the awards at 10 AM. For all inquiries, please contact Elisabeth Vieselmeyer at 914-227-9307 or evieselmeyer@volunteernewyork.org

MEET THE 2021 WINNERS

Education & Literacy Award: Trecia Pessoa for volunteer action with Her Honor Mentoring, a resident of Freeport, NY

Going Green Award: Joseph O’Campo-Petras for volunteer action with Westchester Parks Foundation, a resident of Ardsley, MY

Quality of Life Award: Tina Constable for volunteer action with Huguenot Memorial Church and Family Services of Westchester, a Pelham, NY resident

Social Advocacy Award: Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers for volunteer action with The Mental Health Association of Westchester—a group of 70 volunteers represented by Mary Jo Bramson, a CASA volunteer and MHA Board Member and resident of Briarcliff Manor

Transformation Award: Nneka Bell for volunteer action with Veterans Service Agency of Mt. Vernon, a Somerset, NJ resident

Youth Leadership Award: Ellie Zimmerman for volunteer action with Interns 4-Good & Carver Center, a Purchase, NY resident

2021 VSA AWARD JUDGES

Jason Chapin, Eileen Davidson, Jan Fisher, Joseph Kenner, Lydia Kris, Carmen Martínez-López, PhD, Linda Tyler, Genna Woods, Daniel Zelem.