FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Anietra Guzmán-Santana
Phone: 914.246.8149
Email: anietra@foundationforypl.org
Making Waves at the Yonkers Public Library
FYPL Gala 2024 to Honor Mary Calvi & Sandy Amoyaw
April 25, 2024
Yonkers, NY, February 21, 2024 - The Foundation for the Yonkers Public Library (FYPL) will host its annual Gala on Thursday, April 25th from 6 - 9 pm at the Riverfront Library in downtown Yonkers. Tickets and sponsorships are now available.
The event will honor two long-time YPL champions: Mary Calvi, Emmy award-winning journalist, author & First Lady of Yonkers and Sandy Amoyaw, beloved veteran librarian and Administrator of the Riverfront Library.
“We are thrilled to honor Mary Calvi for her work as a literary citizen and great friend of the Yonkers Public Library,” said Foundation President Nancy Maron. Starting this year, the FYPL Gala will also honor an outstanding member of the YPL community. “When it came to choosing a member of YPL to honor it was unanimous that we recognize Sandy Amoyaw for his dedication and long service. He has worked tirelessly for over 30 years to bring new and innovative programs and spaces to YPL.”
The theme of the event, Making Waves, highlights the momentum of the Yonkers Public Library and its dynamic role in supporting and encouraging Yonkersites to continue learning, growing, and connecting. Funds raised are used to support and enhance YPL programming at its three branches.
Guests will enjoy stunning views of the Hudson at sunset from the top of the Riverfront Library, with:
Spectacular food and drink, and upbeat live music
Photo Booth: Dive in & become the book character of your choice!
Live and silent auctions
Early Bird tickets are $150 until April 8th and $175 afterwards. Interested in complimentary parking validation for this event? Please add Parking Validation to your order. Discounted tickets will also be offered for educators, librarians, and students. To purchase sponsorships, tickets, and journal ads, please visit foundationforypl.org/gala. Funds raised will support educational and cultural programming.
HONOREES:
Mary Calvi is a 14-time New York Emmy award-winning journalist. Her second novel, IF A POEM COULD LIVE AND BREATHE: A NOVEL OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT’S FIRST LOVE, is based on love letters from the Gilded Age to and from Roosevelt and his first love, Alice Lee. This latest novel has been praised for being "endearing and romantic" and heralded as "an entertaining novel to devour with tissues nearby." Her in-depth research for her debut book, DEAR GEORGE, DEAR MARY: A NOVEL OF GEORGE WASHINGTON’S FIRST LOVE, is the basis of a Smithsonian Channel documentary.
Calvi is a life-long patron and supporter of the Yonkers Public Library, who grew up frequenting the Will library. She graduated from Maria Regina High School in Hartsdale NY and magna cum laude with a degree in broadcast journalism from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Sandy Ernest Amoyaw currently serves as the Branch Administrator of the Riverfront Library, the main branch of the Yonkers Public Library. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the facility and manages public service and engagement and is known internally as holding the title for highest number of library card sign ups in a single day. He has been with the Yonkers Public Library system since 1993, previously managing the Grinton I. Will Library and Crestwood Library. Prior to Yonkers Public Library, he worked for New York Public Library, serving in numerous positions, including Senior Librarian, Assistant Branch Manager, and Regional Librarian. He is an active member of American Library Association, New York Library Association, Westchester Library Association , and the first President of the Ghanaian Librarian Association.
Mr. Amoyaw also volunteers his time to numerous community organizations, including the Salvation Army, East Yonkers Rotary International, St. Peter/s Day Care Advisory Board, Chair of the Presbyterian Church Projects and Investment Board, Classic Homecare Board, Mayor African-African Advisory Board, and the President of the Ghanaian Association of Westchester, where he was responsible for organizing the first ever Ghana Flag Raising Day in Yonkers and the Westchester County. Despite a lifetime of achievements and accomplishments, Mr. Amoyaw remains most proud of the love and support he receives from his family, which include his wife, Jane and their six children and six grandchildren.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR THE YONKERS PUBLIC LIBRARY:
The Foundation for the Yonkers Public Library is an independent not-for-profit organization, created in 2017 by the trustees and administrators of YPL as a means to actively support and enrich the programming, spaces, and collections of the Library. Among the signature programs The Foundation has sponsored are 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, Teacher in the Library, and the teen arts programs at the Riverfront Art Gallery. For more information visit: www.foundationforypl.org.
ABOUT THE YONKERS PUBLIC LIBRARY:
The Yonkers Public Library is the largest library in Westchester County and was established in 1893 to serve the citizens of the City of Yonkers. There are currently three branches; Riverfront Library, our main branch, in downtown Yonkers, the Grinton I. Will Branch on Central Avenue and the Crestwood Branch in the Crestwood section of the city. Our mission is to change lives every date. Our expert, trusted staff help all the people of Yonkers find the information they need, the programs they enjoy, and the reading they love. For more information about the Yonkers Public Library, visit www.ypl.org.
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