Dr. Raymond Sanchez, Connie Curran to be Honored at Tarrytown Gala

Tarrytown Superintendent Dr. Raymond Sanchez, Connie Curran to be honored at Teatown Gala

Teatown Lake Reservation (Teatown) will celebrate its 60th anniversary at its annual A Night in the Woods Gala on Sunday, October 1, 2023. Teatown is an environmental education center and nature preserve in Ossining, New York that is home to 15 miles of hiking trails and more than 1,000 acres of land under conservation. It is the largest independent, community-supported non-profit nature preserve in Westchester County.

The celebration, From Seed to Forest: Celebrating 60 Years of Education and Conservation, will be held at the historic Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York and will honor two distinguished members of the community Connie Curran, longtime Teatown friend and advocate for children and education, and Superintendent of the Tarrytown Union Free School District Dr. Ray Sanchez, a valued educational collaborator with Teatown.

Volunteering and philanthropy have been part of Connie Curran’s life for more than 40 years. She is an ordained Deacon and Elder of the Scarborough Presbyterian Church and currently is a member of its Finance and Personnel Committees. In 1997, Connie and her husband, John, established the Curran Charitable Foundation. For 20 years she managed the Foundation as its Administrator as well as serving as Secretary on its Board of Directors.

Dr. Sanchez has always been an enthusiastic supporter of Teatown and its programs. During his years as superintendent of the Ossining school district he would host “Hike with the Superintendent” and would invite Ossining families to come to Teatown on a Saturday to hike the trails with him. He also helped introduce Ossining High School students to the Teatown Environmental Science Academy (TESA). TESA is a summer study program for high school students that has been running for more than 10 years. The program allows students to work with PhD scientists to identify an environmental topic of interest, formulate and conduct research, and present their findings at a symposium at the end of the program.

“At heart, Dr. Sanchez understands the importance of children getting outdoors and exploring nature in-depth,” said Susan Erdey, Director of Development. “He has been a valued partner in Teatown’s work, and we look forward to continuing to work with him now that he is the superintendent of the Sleepy Hollow schools.”

This year’s theme, From Seed to Forest: Celebrating 60 Years of Education and Conservation, is the centerpiece of a short film by internationally acclaimed film-makers Susan Todd and Andy Young of Archipelago Films. Individuals will be able to show their support for Teatown’s mission by purchasing Gala tickets and sponsorships, donating, or taking part in the silent auction. Dancing will also be part of the fun with music provided by Hal Prince Entertainment.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.teatown.org/gala. All proceeds from the Gala benefit Teatown Lake Reservation and support of its mission of inspiring the community to lifelong environmental stewardship.