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Welcome to

design credit: Donna Sullivan. P’32, ’34, ’37

To benefit the students, faculty and staff of The Harley School

Blast! Gala
April 22, 2023
6 to 11 pm
at The Highline, Rochester, NY

Academics

Creativity

Sustainability

Fitness

Equity and Belonging

Event Timeline

6:00 

Hor d’oeuvres and Open Bar

Check out the raffles for Pageant tickets, parking and (new this year!) Pageant photos

Get “Facebook-Worthy” pics @ the Hype Booth

7:00

Welcome & Awards

Live Auction

Paddle Raise

8:00 

Dessert & Dancing begins with the fabulous Uptown Groove

11:00 

Event close

Thank you to our sponsors

Fire Sponsors- $5000

Water Sponsors- $2500

Crystal Sponsors – $1600

Dena Levy, PhD, P ’24 +
Mark Goldstein, P ’24

Advertisers- $500

A special thanks to our beverage sponsor for the evening, Constellation Brands, who provided the wine and beer for tonight’s event!

Tonight we honor our Harley Life of Purpose Awardees

The Life of Purpose Award (formerly Lives of Great Purpose Award) was created in 2018 to highlight Harley graduates who embody The Harley School mission: to encourage our students to lead lives of true purposejoy, and meaning; and to contribute to making our world better. This can be demonstrated through career accomplishments, volunteerism, or other personal endeavors.

Kaarin Coe ’88 was nominated for the Life of Purpose Award by her mother, Barbara Allard Coe ’63 because she believes her daughter has excelled in her career as a Clinical Social Worker in the United States Navy Medical Service Corps. Kaarin’s therapy skills include PTSD, Moral Injury, Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention. On the administrative side, she updated all documentation and rewrote the Standard Operating Procedures at the base in Diego Garcia, and at the Norfolk Naval Hospital Substance Abuse Facility she was the Department Head for a 75 bed inpatient facility and four satellite outpatient and aftercare locations.

Jan Costello ’68 was nominated by her classmate Nell Davidson ’68. According to Nell, her friend Jan, a lawyer and professor at Loyola University in Los Angeles took her career in a direction that identified human and societal needs and began addressing them with all of her talents: advocacy, teaching, and writing on behalf of vulnerable populations that included youth at risk, individuals with mental health conditions and other disabilities, as well as people living in poverty. She did this through direct, human engagement with affected individuals and also worked at a macro level to improve their lives through national committee and foundation work within professional organizations addressing these needs. She has most recently given presentations on the legal and ethical issues raised in Treating Transgender Children. Jan is the brother to fellow Harley alum, Keeley Costello from the Class of 1964.

Vickie DelMonte Durfee ’75 is the founder and Executive Director of nonprofit Full Circle Home an organization that strengthens the connections with deployed service members and their loved ones at home. The idea of Full Circle Home started in 2007 after her son, Gil (in attendance tonight with his mom), a Marine stationed overseas, asked his mom to put together a gift from him for his then fiancé, now wife, Ashley. Vickie was nominated by Full Circle Home volunteer, Jennifer Hearne who said: Vickie works tirelessly to facilitate deployed service members around the world with the ability to send Mother’s Day and Christmas gifts to their support people at home. She travels the country garnering support of our troops. We send over 1200 boxes of gifts (1200 boxes x 12 gifts = 14,400) at Christmas alone. Vickie is dedicated to our troops and their loved ones. Vickie and her husband, Jim Durfee from the class of ’75, have three children (Andrea ’02, Gil (attended Harley from 1989-2000) and Archie ’09. Grandson Carlin graduates from Harley in June!

Brooke Mayer ’04 was nominated by her dad, Sandy Mayer, who says, “I have watched my daughter blossom into a caring and altruistic woman, concerned about the earth and its sustainability. Everything she has done is a dedication of her work towards making the world a better place in which to live, always considering fairness, equity and justice.” Her work includes designing a desk specifically for people suffering from dementia and Altzheimer’s Disease, to working with a local senior living facility in Ithaca to redesign their dining area to promote increased sociability during meals, and her years of environmental/sustainability work with New York City Parks Department, New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell Agri-Tech, and now with solar technology at Greenspark Solar. Brooke is married to Hal Kieburtz from the Class of 2004 and is the sister of fellow graduate, Marc Mayer ’98.

Matt Present ’04 was nominated by family friend and fellow physician, Sandy Mayer. Matt has made a huge contribution to the Rochester Community and its children.  After finishing medical school at the University of Chicago, he returned home to do his pediatric residency at URMC’S Golisano Children’s Hospital where he recognized the urgent need for literacy in Rochester’s children.  In the second year of his pediatrics residency at URMC, he founded the Rochester chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, an international organization that mails a brand new, free book every month to children under five. Initially starting a pilot project in zip code 14605, Rochester Dolly Parton Library has now expanded to the entire city—reaching more than 1,800 children, ages 0-5. Matt says none of this would be possible without the help of his friend and classmate, Katie Baldwin ’04.  Matt is now Chief Resident in Pediatrics as well as a new parent himself, along with his spouse, Maddy August, Class of 2005. He is also the brother to Rachel Present Schreter ’02.

Thank you to our emcees for this evening

Jonathan Ntheketha

Courtney Winslow

Live Auction Items

An Evening with Carlos Santana
Let’s start BIG with checking off your bucket list an unforgettable evening at the Santana 1001 Rainbows Tour. The concert is Thursday, June 22 at 800PM at CMAC. The package includes 16 tickets in the Moon & Stone VIP tent , 9 VIP parking passes and all the perks of a being a VIP.
Donated by: Moon & Stone
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2023
Value: $3,000

Getaway at The Lake House
Enjoy a one-night stay for 2 at the beautifully designed The Lake House on Canandaigua. This property was awarded a Travel + Leisure “World’s Best” designation in 2021 and it’s less than an hour away. While you’re onsite you’ll enjoy a scrumptious dinner for 2 at Rose Tavern, spa services at the Willowbrook Spa, and breakfast for 2 the following morning.
Donated by: Courtney Winslow
Date: On a mutually agreed upon date
Value: $1,000

Dinner & Wine with Joe
Join Harley parents Joe Ellis and his wife Deborah at their Pittsford home for a 5-course dinner paired with rare and aged wines from their private collection. Pairings will include sparkling, white, red and dessert wine. 5 couple tickets are available and the cost is $250/couple.
Donated by: Joe Ellis & Deborah Kerley
Date: Thursday, May 18th
Value: $250/couple

Let’s Go Buff-a-lo!
Framed autographed Buffalo Bills Thurman Thomas Jersey– with authenticity documentation.
Donated by: Carmen Marie Mangiola P’06
Value: $850.

Private Chef Dinner
Realbuto EATS owner/operator Chef Elio Realbuto and a server will come to your home fully-equipped with all the course plating silverware, linens, and personal cooking equipment required to prepare, cook, and serve a five-course menu of your choice. This fresh, seasonal menu is paired with first class service to provide a professional and seamless meal in the comfort of your home (and no dishes to clean!)
Donated by: Realbuto EATS
Date: On a mutually agreed upon date.
Value: $1050

Dreaming of Disney
Enjoy the comfort and convenience of a one bedroom, two bathroom Starwood Hotels timeshare property in sunny Orlando just 10 minutes from Disney World. Property sleeps four and has a pool! This package also includes 7 Park Hopper passes, providing admission to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.
Donated by: Joe Ellis & Deborah Kerley
Dates: Passes are redeemable through June 17, 2024. Not Available: Dec 24, 2023 -Jan 1, 2024 (4 weeks notice required to schedule accommodations)
Value: $3,000

Handmade Aleutian Kayak
The Aleutian kayak or baidarka is regarded by many as the most advanced of the traditional skin-on-frame kayak designs. These vessels are well known for their performance and handling qualities and are designed for the rough conditions of the North Pacific and the Bering Sea. This 19 foot long Kayak was lovingly built in 2015 by Doug Ward at The Wooden Boat School in Maine. A retiree from the NYS Environmental Protection Bureau, Doug, an avid woodworker, was inspired to build the boat after seeing a similar design used by the Inuit people in Alaska. Sadly, although seaworthy, the boat received little use as Doug passed away only 3 years after he completed it. It is being lovingly donated tonight by Doug’s wife, Cory Harris Ward ‘71. Local delivery can be coordinated.
Donated by: Cory Harris Ward ‘71
Value: $3,000

Dining Around Town with Horizons
The Horizons Board knows that foodies in Rochester deserve to celebrate every month, so they have assembled a special “feast” to enjoy all year long. In the spirit of the annual Dining with Horizons event, they have selected twelve restaurants and are providing one hundred dollar gift cards to each one. Keep your tastebuds happy while you support local—and Horizons at Harley!
Donated by: The Horizons Board of Advisors
Value: $1,200

Thank you for your support!

We look forward to seeing you next year at Silent Auction, Silent Disco and BLAST!

The Harley School

1981 Clover Street
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 442-1770

©2023 The Harley School

Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes. 

  • Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.
  • Serving on student council: 
  • STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program

At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.

Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.

Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.

Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees. 

Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize. 

About

Academics

Key Programming

Enrollment

Letter from the Head of School

Letter from the Editor

Features

Central Work that Matters: DEI

Harley Black Alumni Network

Climate Crisis Curriculum

Citizen Scientists

Joy Moss: Storytelling Roots

In Every Issue

Class Notes

Diane Donniger Award

By the Numbers

From the Archives

What’s (Who’s) New at Harley

Divisional Highlights

Alumni Profile: Vandebroek

Alumni Profiles: Keller

HAC Athletics

2021 Lives of Great Purpose Awards

1000 Words

Commencement 2022

Reunion 2022

In Memoriam

Retirements and Fond Farewells

Letter from the Head of School

Letter from the Editor

Features

Central Work that Matters

Affinity Group Forms

Climate Crisis Curriculum

Citizen Scientists

Joy Moss: Storytelling Roots

In Every Issue

Class Notes

Diane Donniger Award

By the Numbers

From the Archives

What’s (Who’s) New at Harley

Divisional Highlights

Alumni Profile: Vandebroek

Alumni Profiles: Keller

HAC Athletics

2021 Lives of Great Purpose Awards

1000 Words

Commencement 2022

Reunion 2022

In Memoriam

Retirements and Fond Farewells