Gala Held For Mount Kisco Child Care Center In Honor Of Jane Beusman

Jane Beusman's commitment to the Mount Kisco Child Care Center did not end with her death earlier this year. Rather, her husband, Curtis Beusman, is continuing her legacy. Thursday night, Beusman hosted the first-annual Jane H. Beusman Children's Fund Celebration at the Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco.

Beusman is owner and founder of the Club, as well as other fitness centers in the region. He also helped found Curtis Instruments, a Mount Kisco business.

Both Beusman and his wife actively supported the Mount Kisco Child Care Center. According to the evening's program, the Beusmans had been volunteering since 2002, both serving on the center's board of directors. In 2008, as the economy took a turn for the worse, Jane Beusman conceived the Children's Fund to help working families pay for tuition to the center. The Children's Fund also pays for teacher development and educational materials.

The evening also provided a chance to thank the Junior League of Northern Westchester, and in particular member Kiersten Marich of South Salem, for contributions to MKCCC. Mount Kisco Mayor Michael Cindrich presented Marich with the honor. She and her colleagues' have a pet project, collecting toys for MKCCC students for the Christmas holiday season.

Almost 200 tickets were sold for the event, with catering by Abigail Kirsch and music by a band called La Blanc Brothers. In addition to the admission, MKCCC raised money with a raffle, with a first prize being a three-year lease on a 2010 Lexus hybrid sedan (donated by Lexus of Mount Kisco) or $10,000 cash. John Hatheway, of New Hampshire, was the big winner. He is a longtime friend of the Beusman family.

Other contributions included a sculpture donated by Nat Sloan, who said his inspiration comes from the fractured pieces that are the basis of his work. This piece took the form of an Apache head done in profile. There were also several necklaces designed by Jenny Ng Lopresto, who is a member of the event committee.

The overall design, with children's artwork, was implemented by John Casso. Casso also donated a painting.

The evening featured a short video featuring a glimpse into a day at MKCCC with a child named Amelia and her family, who rely on the center for its programs.

According to the MKCCC, they were still calculating how much the event raised, and expect to have final numbers by Monday.