Four Exemplary Community Volunteers Honored at the Reimagined 2022 Scarsdale Bowl

Everything old was new again at the Scarsdale Bowl dinner on April 28, 2022 when the event was reinvented after a three year gap due to the pandemic.

It was a night of firsts for the Scarsdale Bowl dinner – the first time that three years of honorees were celebrated together, the first time the event was held outside, the first time toasts were made on video and the first time it was moved to a new venue in Purchase.

The sold-out crowd of 271 attendees was ready to celebrate four worthy volunteers in an elegant setting. Though the event was originally planned to be totally outside, due to high winds and chilly temperatures, the cocktail hour was moved inside before dinner was served in a large heated tent. Among the attendees were former Bowl winners, the Bowl committee, members of the Scarsdale Foundation, former and present members of the school board and village board, village staff, village volunteers, realtors and tables of friends and family of the honorees, BK Munguia and Jonathan Mark, Michelle Lichtenberg and Terry Singer.

Chairman of the Scarsdale Bowl Committee Nancy Michaels had waited three years to host the dinner, which was originally planned for April 2020 and then delayed many times. She greeted the room by asking the honorees to stand, followed by their families, members of the Bowl Committee, past and present members of the Foundation, past Bowl honorees, honor roll recipients, election officials, the press, and all volunteers and supporters. Ultimately the entire room was on their feet giving themselves a round of applause in recognition of all the volunteers who make Scarsdale a special place to live.

Discussing the qualities of the honorees, she highlighted six characteristics they all share:

1. A sense of humor and ability to laugh at oneselfBK Munguia and Jonathan Mark
2. Diplomatic, good communicators and consensus builders
3. Thoughtful, considerate and inclusive
4. Willing to be wrong, take chances and think outside the box
5. Prepared
6. For community before themselves.

Rather than the traditional speeches from family and friends, this year professional videos were produced about each of the nominees, highlighting their contributions. With testimony from family, friends, fellow volunteers and the Bowl winners themselves, the videos were heartwarming, enlightening and entertaining. Kudos to Jamie Spielman, Mark Bliss and Sarah Singer for their contributions in filming, production and editing. Watch the videos here.

Also shown was a video of some of the students who were the beneficiaries of college scholarships from the Scarsdale Foundation, who hosts the Scarsdale Bowl and raises funds throughout the year to support community organizations, camp tuition for those in need but primarily funds for Scarsdale students in their sophomore, junior and senior years of high school. This year the goal was to raise $150,000 to give to students in need.

Each of the Bowl honorees did have the chance to come to the podium and receive the silver Scarsdale Bowl. 2020 honorees BK Munguia said, “If we have learned anything from these past two years of a global pandemic, it is the value of volunteers offering a helping hand and we hope that commitment to others springs eternal in the Village and Town of Scarsdale. We thank our family for their love and support of all the Scarsdale projects that engaged us, as well as all the friends we made who volunteered alongside us over the years.”

Michelle and Frank LichtenbergJon Mark added, “The mere existence of the annual Scarsdale Bowl award speaks volumes about what we value. The fact that an award, and one night a year, has been set aside to honor volunteers – each year for 79 years, even in the face of our global health crisis – supports my claim. Volunteering means stepping up to contribute time, thought and energy to a community activity for the collective good. On a good day – and most of them are, volunteering helps us work toward common goals and to knit us together as a community. Like any community, there are less good days as well. But on those days, our commitment to each other and an understanding that we are all in this together, helps us work through them.”

Michelle Lichtenberg, the 2021 honoree said, “It’s great to see long-term Foundation and Bowl supporters and people attending for the first time. It is thrilling to see so many Scarsdale expats. I forgive you (for leaving). To play with the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” it takes a village to do just about anything complicated, nuanced and worth doing.”… When things seem to be spinning out of control in different parts of the country and the world, I feel lucky to come back to get my bearings in our town. True, our little slice of Camelot has an occasional thunderstorm, but compared to other places, it is merely a tempest in a tea kettle.”

And 2021 honoree Terry Singer said, “Gathering together to celebrate our culture of volunteerism exemplifies what makes Scarsdale so distinctive. Across our Village, numerous boards and councils do remarkable work. Organizations supporting our schools, recreation, governance, and welfare all comprise the fabric that makes Scarsdale exceptional. Everyone in this room is a part of this volunteer spirit, and tonight we can celebrate the accomplishments of our entire Community. I thank all of you for your many contributions that make our Village so special.”
The Singer Family

The new dinner format made for a festive and enjoyable tribute to four beloved Scarsdale residents. The event was a triumph of flexibility and adaptability and a recognition that institutions must change with the times.

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Scarsdale Bowl Committee
Committee Chair: Nancy Michaels
​Class of 2022: Sergi Flaster, Michael Rosen, Svati Shashank, Scott Silberfein, Loretta Vickers, Han Zhou

Class of 2023: Becky Bach, Sara Farnsworth, Adam Hellegers, Eric Lichtenstein, Margot Milberg, Erika Rublin, Beverly Thornhill

Scarsdale Foundation Liaison: Jennifer Love

Non-Voting: Michelle Lichtenberg, Ex-Officio, Abby Sroka, Secretary/Treasurer

To support the Scarsdale Foundation, click here to make a contribution to the 2022 honor roll in recognition of your favorite community volunteers.

Scarsdale Foundation Board: Michelle Lichtenberg President: Elyse Klayman, Suzanne Seiden, Marc Greenwald, Jennifer Love, Randy Guggenheimer, Tom Giordano, Anne Lyons, B. Kathleen Munguia

The Scarsdale Bowl Committee

The Scarsdale Foundation