Dear Scarsdale Community,

Based on the recent developments with the Coronavirus and the recommendation by the Department of Health to avoid large gatherings, the Scarsdale Foundation has rescheduled the Scarsdale Foundation Bowl Dinner to Thursday, September 24, 2020.

We look forward to honoring BK Munguia and Jon Mark together as we celebrate them and all Scarsdale volunteers who make Scarsdale Shine On.

We appreciate your understanding and support during these unusual times. All sponsorships, table hosts, and donations will remain pertinent and all purchased tickets will be transferred and honored on our new date.

Please continue to honor your friends and neighbors on the new Scarsdale Foundation Honor Roll and celebrate volunteerism.

If you have any questions, please contact the Scarsdale Bowl Chair.

B. Kathleen (B.K.) Munguia and Jon Mark, an extraordinary couple with decades of dedicated volunteerism to Scarsdale, will be the 2020 joint recipients of the community’s highest award, the Scarsdale Bowl. The Scarsdale Bowl is awarded annually to “one who has given unselfishly of time, energy, and effort to the civic welfare of the community,” according to the Bowl founding documents.

“B.K. and Jon are a couple who have volunteered in every area of civic life in Scarsdale. They have dedicated their lives to giving back to our community, and Scarsdale is a better place for their indefatigable commitment,” said Nancy Michaels, chair of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee.

Munguia and Mark will be honored at the Scarsdale Foundation Bowl Dinner on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase. Michaels encourages all members of the community to attend. “It is a night to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism in Scarsdale. The Bowl Committee, a diverse group of 15 community volunteers, selects the recipient(s) after reviewing many worthy candidates who are nominated by the community annually.” This will be the fourth time that a couple is receiving the award in the Bowl’s 77-year history. The Bowl Committee will send out invitations at the beginning of March; however, one need not receive an invitation to attend. The entire community is invited to this wonderful, celebratory event.

In the evening of Sunday, January 5, 2020, the Bowl Committee voted to honor Munguia and Mark. Delegates from the committee, including Michaels, Scarsdale Foundation President Randy Guggenheimer, Scarsdale Foundation liaison to the committee Seth Ross, and committee secretary/treasurer Abby Sroka, together with committee member Dara Gruenberg, arrived unannounced at the Munguia/Mark home to surprise the couple with the committee’s selection. Mark commented, “I am honored. I have to sit down.” Munguia, equally stunned, hugged Jon, and after a few moments of quiet astonishment said, “This is so overwhelming. I just can’t believe it. I am speechless.”

Reflecting on the significance of the Bowl Award, Munguia and Mark expressed their deep gratitude to the many Scarsdale volunteers they met along the way who also contribute to the dynamic community that is Scarsdale and to whom they extend their thanks for this honor.

Munguia began her volunteer work in Scarsdale at Heathcote School, where she organized gardening projects in the atrium and around the school grounds. She served on the School Board’s Legislative Committee, and the School Board Nominating Committee and Administrative Committee. Munguia also served on the Scarsdale Bowl Committee. Munguia, a tireless advocate for youth and teens, has spent several decades volunteering for the Girl Scouts in various capacities. Munguia served on the Citizens Nominating Committee, the Procedure Committee, and chaired the Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Campaign Committee. She served on the Board of the Scarsdale Forum and as its president in 2011-2012. Most notably, Munguia was a board member and president of the now closed Scarsdale Teen Center, starting her service in 2001 and concluding with the closing of the center in 2018. She is also a trustee of The Scarsdale Foundation. Known as a quiet workforce behind so much of what goes on in Scarsdale, “BK embodies the essence of what the Bowl honors: unselfish devotion of time, energy, and effort for the civic welfare of the community. She has shaped so much of what Scarsdale is today, oftentimes quietly and behind the scenes. She is always willing to do the work others don’t want to take on, because that’s just who she is,” Michaels said.

Mark, who grew up in Scarsdale, attended Scarsdale schools from kindergarten at the Griffen Avenue School, to Quaker Ridge School, to Scarsdale High School, Class of 1965. He spent the first part of his volunteer life in Scarsdale identified mainly as “BK’s husband” who helped wherever he was asked. However, for the last decade, Mark has created his own reputation as one of Scarsdale’s most dedicated volunteers. Mark served as a two-term Village trustee before becoming the Mayor in 2015. Mark also chaired the Scarsdale Bowl Committee in 2014-2015. In 2017, following his service on the Village Board, Mark joined the board of trustees at Westchester Reform Temple, where he currently serves as a vice president. Concurrently, he was the president of the Scarsdale Forum. Additionally, Mark chaired the Citizens Nominating Committee and then co-chaired the Scarsdale Non-Partisan Party Campaign Committee. “One of Jon’s most striking qualities is his humility. He has a quiet strength that pervades his leadership, and he treats everyone with respect. He is often the last to speak as he wants to hear all sides of an issue. He possesses a tireless work ethic. Jon is always willing to roll up his sleeves, no task too small,” said Michaels.

Evelyn Stock, a longtime friend, declared enthusiastically when she heard the news, “I have lived in Scarsdale for 50 years and have known them and worked with them for over 20 years. I cannot think of a more deserving couple to win the Bowl Award. They are both remarkable volunteers in their own right who have given so much to this community, and their service has no limit. They are extraordinary!”
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Tickets to the Scarsdale Foundation Bowl Dinner will be available for purchase online or via check in early March. Check this website for RSVP and payment details at that time.

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 [email protected] 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.