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The New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence (NR Fund) is set to shine a spotlight on its extraordinary community at the Annual Gala on February 5 at the Surf Club on the Sound. Emceed by CBS reporter Tony Aiello, the evening will celebrate public school students, honor accomplished New Rochelle High School alumni, and recognize community leaders whose inspiring contributions will be showcased in Emmy-winning producer Bob Gilmartin’s captivating video profiles.

This year’s Gala honorees are:

Jim Koplik, NRHS ’67, President of Live Nation CT and Upstate NY, a music industry voter in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, known for working with top music artists, such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Billy Joel, and for promoting the Sound on Sound Music Festival.

Linda Tarrant-Reid, NRHS ’67, an author, community activist, Executive Director of The Lincoln Park Conservancy, the NYS Parks Commissioner for the Taconic Region, and an appointed NYS Commission member for the Study of Reparations and Remedies.

Donna Gitlitz, a dedicated NR Fund volunteer since 1998 who treasures the interconnection between the NR Fund’s events and the New Rochelle community.

The NR Fund will award $1,000 scholarships to four graduating seniors for their extraordinary achievements in Arts and Culture, Citizenship, Sports Leadership, and Technology:

Arts and Culture Award: Myles Hoffman This award recognizes a student whose extraordinary artistry contributes to the New Rochelle public schools’ creative, intellectual, and cultural vitality.

David A. Garfinkel Citizenship Award: Maison Smith This award recognizes a student whose remarkable record of community service enriches our city and inspires their fellow students to participate in civic life, named in memory of NR Fund Board member and community leader David A. Garfinkel.

Eric Tutera Sports Leadership Award: Anderson Krasner This award recognizes a student whose athletic talent and discipline encourage his or her fellow students to excel in both academic and extracurricular activities, named in memory of NRHS graduate and athlete Eric Tutera.

Technology Award: Julian Belfast This award recognizes a student whose mastery of cutting-edge technology demonstrates the power of scientific innovation to encourage learning and improve our lives.

Gala proceeds allow the NR Fund to subsidize innovative student programs and opportunities in our public schools. The event is an opportunity to celebrate New Rochelle students and schools and make a meaningful impact in our community while enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, live entertainment by talented NRHS students, a silent auction, and a $5,000 prize raffle.

Gala ticket pricing is $200 per person with reduced price tickets of $150 per person for employees of the City School District of New Rochelle. Ticket may be purchased at https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/mcLCjSR_Z5wNTK9ZkVI7TA or on the NR Fund website at www.nredfund.org

ABOUT THE HONOREES:

Distinguished Alumni Award: Jim Koplik, NRHS ‘67 has promoted well over 15,000 concerts since 1968. Currently president of Live Nation for CT and Upstate NY, he has worked with the biggest names on concert stages, including Sir Paul McCartney, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, The Police, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, and Sir Elton John. He has also produced the largest festival ever held in North America, the Watkins Glen Summer Jam which drew 600,000 attendees to upstate New York to see the Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, and The Band. More recently, Jim created the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport and promoted the Sound on Sound Music Festival at Seaside Park in Bridgeport. Jim is also the Chairman for Live Nation Entertainment for the New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Upstate New York region, and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voter. Although he has lived in Stamford, CT for 40 years, he fondly remembers his youth in New Rochelle.

Community Leadership Award: Linda Tarrant-Reid, NRHS ‘67 is the Executive Director of New Rochelle’s The Lincoln Park Conservancy, Inc. (TLPC), a 501c3 focused on celebrating and preserving the historical legacy of New Rochelle’s African American community and the global impact of food insecurity. With over 40 years of experience as an author, journalist, historian, and community advocate, Ms. Tarrant-Reid previously worked for Doubleday & Company, ABC-TV, and PBS. She is the author of several books and has written extensively on African American history and culture, including for the New York Daily News, Westchester County Press, and other publications. Currently, Linda is overseeing grow! Eat, a food insecurity initiative she created to grow and provide free, locally-grown organic produce to those in need. Linda and her husband, Stu, have established TLPC’s History & Culture Center, set to open in 2025 in downtown New Rochelle. In 2024, NYS Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins appointed Linda to the NYS Community Commission for the Study of Reparations and Remedies. She also serves on the NYS Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Commission for the Taconic Region and the City of New Rochelle’s African American Advisory Committee.

Raised in New Rochelle, Linda is married to Stuart Reid, chair of a technology company. They have two children, Siad and Gibwa.

Foundation Award for Community Impact: Donna Gitlitz’s devotion to her community is evident in her 25 years of volunteering. In 1997, Donna was part of the group of parents who brought the idea of the NR Fund to then-superintendent Linda Kelly. Donna participates in the Fund’s Pancake Breakfast and Gala annually and particularly loves Poetry Out Loud. “The pride on the children’s faces as they present their original poems is incredibly inspiring and gratifying,” she explains. A New Rochelle native, she raised her two daughters here with her husband Neal. Donna worked as a Special Education Teaching Assistant in the school district for 21 years and as a Counselor for the YMCA’s After-School Program. Donna has volunteered for the Sound Shore/Montefiore Winter Toy and Coat Drives since 1997 and has participated in the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Walkathon since her diagnosis in 2004. Working with Millie Radonjic-Ilich, Donna also volunteers with the Hudson Park Children’s Greenhouse. Donna finds volunteering extremely rewarding, stating, “I love being part of the team and interacting with the amazing people in my community!”

Foundation Awards Gala information: https://nredfund.org/nredfund-event/foundation-awards-gala/

Tickets, ads, and sponsorship: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/mcLCjSR_Z5wNTK9ZkVI7TA