Schools

Playground to be Dedicated in Honor of Michele Chebetar

The "active active active" young Tarrytown mother who died suddenly last year will be honored during Friday's special ceremony followed by a raffle to raise money for her three daughters' education.

Michele Chebetar would certainly be very pleased to see children enjoying the playground that she had campaigned for up until her untimely death.

Chebetar died suddenly of an epileptic seizure at the age of 34 last May. At a special ceremony this Friday, the new Fitness Playground, with its dome and climbing wall, will be dedicated in her honor.

This stay-at-home mother of three school-age girls (Gabriella, Payge and Alexandra), did anything but stay at home. She was extremely engaged in the life of her daughters and with the school system.

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“She was involved in everything the community was doing,” said Angel Rafter, owner of the and mother of two boys. “She was active active active. For the working parents, she was the eyes and ears of all the children.”

Now, largely thanks to the efforts of equally active EPTA president David Neilsen, the children have gotten their playground.

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Back in 2010, our district's EPTA began raising funds to support a new play area that would be suitable for children in the 3rd to 5th grades. They held penny raffles, walk-a-thons, book sales and even bingo games. Families, banks, non-profits and businesses also donated to the cause, ultimately netting over $65,000, in what has been “a full community effort.”

With the playground project complete, it's time to direct funds toward the Michele Chebetar Foundation created for her daughters' college education.

Raffle tickets are sold now through Friday at the Nu Toy Store on Main Street. One of the Third Friday vendors, George Vth Gifts, has donated two beautiful glass vases which will be filled by flowers donated by , a Third Friday sponsor.

Though Mother's Day has passed, that's the theme getting another well-deserving round on this evening.

“It will be such a wonderful ceremony and to a woman so deserving for everything she did for our kids in the schools,” Rafter said.

The dedication is Friday, May 18, 5:30 p.m. in the Washington Irving playground. After the ceremony, organizers will be sending folks over to Main Street for Third Friday events. Raffle tickets, sold now at , are $10 for the large vase (valued at $250), $5 for the smaller one (valued at $100).

 


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