Pictured left to right: Gordon and Shelley Geballe, Louise Endel, Che Dawson, Erik Clemons (Executive Director), Rita Berkson (Chair of Board of Directors).
Lisa Scrofani of local non-profit Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership (LEAP) sent in this photo and write-up about a recent awards ceremony held by the organization. The group honored several “LEAPers of Distinction”: Louise Endel, Gordan & Shelley Geballe, and Che Dawson.
Community Members Awarded at Third Annual LEAP Event
LEAP awarded some of its strongest community supporters in a small ceremony at the Roslyn Milstein Meyer LEAP Community Center on Sunday, November 7. The annual ceremony is a chance for LEAP to thank those community members who give the most support to the mission of LEAP. This year’s LEAPers of Distinction recipients were Louise Endel, Gordan & Shelley Geballe, and Che Dawson.
Rita Berkson, Chair of LEAP’s Board of Directors, began the evening welcoming those in attendance, which included the award recipients, their friends and family, and LEAP staff members.Erik Clemons, Executive Director, then introduced the individuals who presented awards to the recipients.
Ann Baker Pepe, LEAP Board member, presented the first award to Louise Endel, and talked about Ms. Endel’s unique ability to be the glue of the community, pulling people together to make a difference in the community. She also talked about Ms. Endel’s ability to “understand what a person can contribute well before that individual understands his or her own potential contribution.” Ms. Endel has served for a number of years with Ms. Baker Pepe as Co-Chairs of LEAP’s most significant yearly fundraising event, LEAP Year Event. Her contributions to the event have made the event a huge success, last year raising over $100,000 for LEAP’s programs. Ms. Endel is the kind of community member that makes connections that keep the community moving forward and LEAP is grateful for the contribution she makes to the organization.
Roslyn Milstein Meyer, LEAP co-founder, presented the award to Gordon & Shelley Geballe. The Geballe’s have been strong advocates and supporters of LEAP since its founding, and Ms. Meyer discussed the importance of their friendship to LEAP. Ms. Meyer recognized them for their contributions to support LEAP’s growth. Mrs. Geballe, co-founded Connecticut Voices for Children in 1995, and through this organization, has passed many laws that benefit LEAP’s children and families. Mrs. Geballe has also contributed to the civic landscape in Connecticut, advocating for sustainability and conservation of the environment, education, arts and ideas, civil rights, volunteerism, and a free and fair press. The Geballe’s sons, Ben and Dan, served as LEAP counselors while students at Yale. Seeing the positive effect LEAP had not only on the children but also the young adults involved in LEAP, the Geballes became strong advocates for the program.
In her acceptance remarks, Mrs. Geballe pointed out her belief that LEAP is not “state-spending, it is an investment” that must continue to receive support from the state. She called for all event attendees to be advocates of the worth of the program and the difference it makes in the lives of children.
Tai Richardson, former LEAP employee, presented the last award to Mr. Che Dawson, past Executive Director and current LEAP advocate. Mr. Richardson discussed the true mentoring relationship he received from Mr. Dawson. Mr. Richardson discussed how Mr. Dawson pushed him to success and prepared him professionally to take on the world. He felt that Mr. Dawson provided the kind of relationship that a big brother or father provides, and acknowledged that many other young men in the city of New Haven who worked with Mr. Dawson also benefited from his guidance and leadership. Mr. Dawson graciously and humbly accepted the award, saying that he felt the award should have been reversed. He discussed how grateful he is for the experience and professional tools that LEAP gave him. He expressed his hope that LEAP would continue to inspire young people to reach their potential, as LEAP helped him to do.
The evening also featured dancers from LEAP’s Community Center jazz class, who danced to R. Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest.” The evening was catered by Culinary Concerts. Past recipients of the LEAPers of Distinction award include: Anne Tyler Calabresi, Honorable William R. Dyson, Henry J. Fernandez III, Jean Handley, Matt Klein, Jerome Harris Meyer, Roslyn Milstein Meyer, and Julia Rusenik. Award recipients are featured on a plaque in the Roslyn Milstein Meyer LEAP Community Center on 31 Jefferson St, New Haven.
About LEAP:
LEAP is an academic and social enrichment program for children and youth, ages 5 to 23. Our mission is to develop the strengths and talents of young leaders who create and implement year-round, community-based programs designed to achieve positive academic and social outcomes
for children living in high poverty urban neighborhoods. LEAP is an AmeriCorps Program. LEAP operates community-based programming in the Church Street South and Farnum Courts neighborhoods, school based programming at Wexler Grant School, and runs community classes at its Roslyn Milstein Meyer LEAP Community Center at 31 Jefferson St. Please visit www.leapforkids.org to learn more about LEAP’s mentorship and community center programming.