Rye Youth Council Names its MVPs

The Rye Youth Council is proud to announce that three local couples will be honored at the organization’s 24th Annual Gala Saturday, January 25 at Westchester Country Club.

The Rye Youth Council is proud to announce that three local couples will be honored at the organization’s 24th Annual Gala Saturday, January 25 at Westchester Country Club. The 2014 MVPs are: Kendall and Ken Egan, Paulette and Eric Mann, and Jean and Pat Romano.

The Egans moved to Rye 18 years ago and have volunteered in the community while raising their four children here. For the past eleven years, Ken has been involved in Resurrection CYO Basketball. Kendall served as PTO president at Milton School during its reconstruction planning and subsequently won a seat on the Board of Education, where she served as a trustee for six years. 

Since moving to Rye in 1993, the Manns have been involved in many community activities with their three children. Eric is instrumental in organizing and sponsoring the annual golf outing for The Southeast Consortium for Special Services. Paulette is an active community volunteer, including as a charter member and president of SEPTA, Rye’s Special Education PTA. She volunteers for Meals on Wheels, The Southeast Consortium for Special Children, and The Rye Youth Council Players.

The Romanos were both born and raised in Rye, where they chose to raise their two daughters. In addition to careers teaching elementary school children, they have coached and volunteered for a number of local sports teams and run the sports programs for local clubs. Jean was named RCSD Teacher of the Year in 2012 and is an active volunteer for Rye Presbyterian Church.

RYC Executive Director Judy Secon observed, “It is a tribute to this community that after so many years of recognizing deserving individuals, we continue to find exceptional people who have gone above and beyond serving the children and families of Rye.”

Diana Williams, award-winning reporter and anchor for WABC-TV, will serve as the emcee for this year’s Gala Awards dinner. The host of Channel 7’s weekly political roundtable, “Up Close with Diana Williams,” she is actively involved with charitable groups in Westchester County, where she and her family live.

Lisa Hogan Luthringer is chairing this year’s gala, the Youth Council’s major fundraiser. Board co-Presidents Shari Balaish and Kristin Jautz note, “A successful gala is increasingly important as more than 85 percent of our funding now comes from private donations, almost exclusively within the 10580 area. We receive some money from the City and the School District, but those funds have been cut severely over the past few years.”

Save the date for this wonderful community event.