The Scarsdale Bowl Committee will begin work at its first official meeting on Sunday, December 8, 2019, to select the 2020 recipient of the Scarsdale Bowl award and is seeking recommendations from the community.
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The Scarsdale Bowl, under the sponsorship of the Scarsdale Foundation, has been awarded annually since 1943 to an “individual (or in exceptional cases to a husband and wife) who has given unselfishly of his time, energy and effort to the civic welfare of the community of Scarsdale . . . .” The founding donors of the Bowl believed that “many who serve generously and voluntarily, without office, honor, or publicity, are those most deserving of having their names permanently inscribed on the Scarsdale Bowl.” The recipient must be a Scarsdale resident who does not currently hold elective office.

NANCY MICHAELS
Nancy Michaels is serving as chair of this year’s Bowl Committee. Members of the committee serve staggered two-year terms. The members of the newly appointed class of 2021 are: Matthew Martin, Dana Matsushita, Jeff Robelen, Andrea Seiden, Janice Starr, and Amber Yusuf. The continuing class of 2020 includes Farley Baker, Karen Ceske, John Clapp, Dorothy Finger, Melpo Fite, Dara Gruenberg, and Bob Miller. Seth Ross, Scarsdale Foundation trustee, will serve on the committee as liaison, and Abby Sroka is continuing as the Committee’s secretary/treasurer. Randy Guggenheimer, president of the Scarsdale Foundation, is an ex officio, non-voting member.

The Scarsdale Bowl will be awarded at a dinner on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase. The ceremony will pay tribute to the 2020 honoree and to the spirit of volunteerism, central to the civic life of Scarsdale. This year’s theme is “Shine on Scarsdale.”

Suggest an honoree by completing the Scarsdale Bowl Nomination Form any time before the Bowl Committee’s first meeting, but preferably no later than Monday, November 25, 2019. Alternatively, you may contact the Bowl Chair directly (email scarbowl@gmail.com or call 914-725-8310) or reach out to any current member of the committee with your recommendations.

The Scarsdale Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded $133,000 in scholarship monies to 29 students for the 2019-2020 academic year, its highest total ever. These need-based grants, awarded annually to college students who have graduated from Scarsdale High School or were Scarsdale residents during their high school years, are intended to offset some of the college expenses of students entering their sophomore, junior and senior years. One 2017-18 scholarship recipient expressed their gratitude: “Scarsdale Foundation scholarship funding made all the difference to me and my family.  Without the extra support, college would not have been possible.” College tuition costs continue to spiral, increasing the number of student applications for assistance. The Scarsdale High School PTA Scholarship Fund for College provides scholarships for SHS graduates for the freshman year of college only. These students need help to fund their remaining undergraduate years of school.

The Scarsdale Foundation helps offset college tuition expenses for eligible students entering their sophomore, junior, and senior years with demonstrated need. A significant number of scholarship applications come from single parent families facing economic setbacks, while others are from students whose parents have lost jobs or whose savings for college have been eroded or wiped out by business losses or devastating health care issues. We are proud that we have awarded over 1 million dollars in total — to approximately 25 students each year — over the last 10 years. In order to meet the growing need for scholarship assistance in our community, the Foundation accepts specially earmarked donations in addition to donations that can be made to its general endowment fund.

“The Scarsdale Foundation is thrilled to be able to assist Scarsdale families in need to provide a college education for their children,” said Foundation President Randy Guggenheimer. “Thank you to all who have supported our scholarship program and general endowment fund!”

Grants to Community Organizations
The Foundation is also proud to announce that it made several grant awards to community organizations in the last 18 months, including $2,500 for fitness stations at Scarsdale High School and $2,000 to the Scarsdale Drug & Alcohol Task Force.
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In addition to providing support for institutions and individuals that encourage educational and human development and mutual understanding, one of the missions of the Scarsdale Foundation is to recognize those individuals in the community who through volunteer service continue to set an example of civic responsibility towards the betterment of the community.  Every spring since 1943 the Scarsdale Foundation has hosted the Scarsdale Bowl Dinner and awards the Scarsdale Bowl to an individual who has given unselfishly of time, energy and effort to the civic welfare of the community. The Scarsdale Bowl is one of the highest and most prestigious honors that can be given to a Scarsdale resident and is reflective of one of the aspects that make our community so special.  Our 2019 Scarsdale Bowl Dinner honoring Jill Spieler was a tremendous success. We look forward to seeing you at our next Bowl Dinner to celebrate Volunteerism on April 22, 2020.

Nancy Michaels has been named Chair of the 2019-20 Scarsdale Bowl Committee. Randy Guggenheimer, President of the Scarsdale Foundation, announced her appointment and also announced that Abby Sroka will continue as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Committee.

The Scarsdale Bowl is awarded annually to a Scarsdale resident in recognition of outstanding volunteer service to the community. As Bowl Committee Chair, Michaels will head the Scarsdale Bowl nominating committee and the community celebration dinner to be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, at Brae Burn Country Club.

Nancy Michaels has been an active volunteer in many Scarsdale organizations. She has served on the Board of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale, on the Executive Committee of Maroon and White, and as Secretary/Treasurer of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. While raising her children in Scarsdale, she was indefatigably involved in activities related to education, serving as Heathcote PTA President, PT Council Vice-President, Chairperson of the Scarsdale Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol, and Co-founder of STOP (State Testing Opposed by Parents). She has also been a member of the Scarsdale High School Compact Committee, the School Board Nominating Committee, SHS College Information Task Force, and the Health Advisory Council. The recipient of the 2011 Brotherhood Award at Westchester Reform Temple, Ms. Michaels served as a Vice President and Secretary of her synagogue and co-chairs many committees including the Refugee Initiative Committee. She is also a dedicated member of the Giving Circle of Lower Westchester and the Scarsdale Student Transfer Education (STEP) Board.

Ms. Michaels graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Human Nutrition and received her Masters of Medical Science from Emory University. She was a Clinical Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist at a New York City hospital for several years before moving to Scarsdale and is currently a partner at Collegistics, a college application advisory firm. She and her husband David are 30-year residents of Heathcote, where they raised their three children, Debra, B.J., and Emily, who all graduated from Scarsdale High School.
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The Scarsdale Bowl is administered by the Scarsdale Foundation, a not-for-profit community foundation that works to promote civic welfare. The Foundation provides need-based financial aid to SHS graduates entering their sophomore, junior, and senior years in college and to children attending the Recreation Department summer day camp. It also administers a number of special purpose funds and makes grants for various community needs, which have included the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service, and the Scarsdale Public Library.