Mission Statement
The mission of Sullivan Renaissance is to enhance the appearance of Sullivan County, New York while building a sense of pride and spirit in the community.
Sandra Gerry's Vision
“My thoughts turned almost immediately to Sullivan County- why couldn’t we do something like that here?”
Sandra Gerry Chair, Sullivan Renaissance
“I sincerely believe Sullivan Renaissance to be the single most important program ever undertaken in the history of Sullivan County.”
John Conway Sullivan County Historian
Sullivan Renaissance is a beautification and community development program principally funded by the Gerry Foundation. The program provides communities in Sullivan County with seed money for beautification projects. A limited number of proposals are funded each year under a competitive process overseen by the Sullivan Renaissance program. Grant amounts vary depending upon program categories.
Youth participation is supported in part with grants from the Louis R. Cappelli Foundation, and Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Additional funding has been secured by NYS Senator John J. Bonacic and Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther.
History
Sandra Gerry’s Vision
The idea of holding a contest to improve the aesthetics of Sullivan County originated with Sandra Gerry, a life-long county resident. While she and her husband Alan Gerry were traveling in the French Alps, they visited a village that had won a regional beautification competition. All of the inhabitants had participated with planting, painting and cleaning up. Together they had changed the look of their community – filling it with flowers, cleanliness and warmth.
“My thoughts turned almost immediately to Sullivan County,” she said, “Why couldn’t we do something like that here?”
Since it's beginning in 2001, Sullivan Renaissance has funded over 325 community beautification projects in all 6 villages and 15 towns of Sullivan County. The program has grown to include school projects, internships, scholarships, mini-grants, seasonal demonstration grants , municipal cleanups, technical assistance grants, environmental grants and special endeavors like the Board of Realtors Showcase Awards.