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Enriching Resources
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On November 7, all of Ossining's schoolchildren and families had a good reason to pay attention to the New York City Marathon.and several families had extra special reasons to go. They were there to cheer for their moms, wives, sisters, or friends - all members of a group of Ossining women running to raise money for the Ossining MATTERS (Monetary Aid, Teaching Tools, and Enriching Resources for our Schools) Education Foundation.

Martha Klein, Missy Murray, Lynn Puro, Tina Hoyt, Mary Oliver, Dana Levenberg, Kelly Donahue, and Ann Dealy (Principal of Park School), raised $5,000 in pledges in the weeks leading up to the event. As they promised each of their contributors, every dollar is going directly to Ossining MATTERS. All of the money will be targeted for equipment to supplement the new all-weather track included in the upcoming Bond Referendum on December 7th (or, should the Bond Referendum not pass, to supplement track and cross country athletic programs in the Ossining School District).

Four of the women, who had trained together for months, finished the marathon. Missy Murray started the race but could not finish due to an injury. Running in spirit were Dana Levenberg and Kelly Donahue, who were sidelined by injuries in October, and Tina Hoyt, who will run the Philadelphia Marathon on November 21st.

The runners came together in September 2003 at the first annual Ossining MATTERS 5k race, which was the kickoff event for Ossining MATTERS, which is dedicated to supporting and enriching the learning opportunities for students in the Ossining School District by raising funds through grants and community events to supplement what is provided by the district. Principal Ann Dealy was so inspired by that first run that she approached one of the other women about running her first marathon. As the group trained together, they decided to dedicate themselves to Ossining MATTERS, both as a thank-you for bringing them together and as a way of showing support for the work the foundation does. When the school district presented its Capital Improvements/Athletic Facilities Plan, whose showcase is an all-weather track, the group vowed to add support of the Bond Referendum to their mission as well.

Now that the New York City Marathon is over, Ossining MATTERS is thrilled with the donations, and with the runners' support of its general mission. Ossining School District Athletic Director Jim Dennett is grateful for the spotlight on the all-weather track. All of the bond issues are important, he says, but the track is his number one priority, because of the benefits it will offer "not just our teams and our PE classes, but our community. We need everybody healthy," he says, and the all-weather track, which will be available to all community members, can be a vital tool in reaching that goal. Ossining remains the only district in Westchester without an all-weather track.

And what do the runners think? "We've put in a few hundred miles over the last six months," says Martha Klein, "but it's been worth every step. It was just an amazing day."

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