around the uft
Huge Strides
Feb 14, 2008 12:12 PM
Sharing the spotlight are (from left) Special Representative Judy Walker, Joyce Chung, Gerowitz, Moore, Calise, Chelsea Krivorchuk, Special Representative Theresa Samuels (who also coordinated the Brooklyn walk), Tamara Ehlin of the American Cancer Society and Catherine Krivorchuk.
How does a one-year 500 percent jump in donations to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides event impress you? Thanks to team leader Elizabeth Calise and the close-knit family of students, parents, UFT staff and administrators at Brooklyn’s Mark Twain IS 239, that leap amounted to more than $20,000 this year. Calise was honored in a special Dec. 19 assembly coordinated by Principal Carol Moore and celebrated by the whole community. The school’s band, orchestra and chorus performed and a representative of the American Cancer Society presented awards to Calise and to students who had raised the largest contributions. UFT District 21 Representative Judy Gerowitz recalled the autumn morning when teams from her district were scheduled to participate in the “walk around the park. What a vision! Suddenly I saw the incredibly stirring sight of 150 Mark Twain students wearing their school shirts and another 150 teachers and parents accompanying them. These kids learned about health issues, health care and community service in what was also a fine character-building experience.” Calise said: “Let’s do it again next year!”
Calise receives her award from City Councilman Domenic Recchia.
