Editor's Note: Thanks to Tarrytown Honda for sending in this item:
When Tarrytown Honda owner/operator Dwight Dachnowicz was a young boy, his father took him to Washington, DC to tour historic landmarks and see our government in action. His dad, the son of Polish immigrants who came here in search of a better life, urged his son never to forget his family’s debt to this land of liberty and opportunity. The trip made a lasting impression on Mr. Dachnowicz, who had planned on attending law school before he was bitten by the car bug. So, when he learned that there were students at the Sleepy Hollow Middle School who could not afford to go on their eighth-grade trip to our nation’s capital, it was only natural that he wanted to help.
Mr. Dachnowicz’s desire to help led him to The Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns and Mary McBride, President of the Board. Ms. McBride explained that The Foundation raises money to serve the needs of the children of the schools which are not met by state and local funds. She said The Foundation’s mission is to encourage and enhance academics, athletics, the arts, technology and other programs of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns. As a not-for-profit, The Foundation relies 100% on donations.
“Call it ‘Pay It Forward,’ if you will,” said Mr. Dachnowicz. “My hard-working grandparents experienced a life of freedom and success here far greater than they had imagined. Helping these children enjoy the rich experience of visiting the capital of our country is a cause that I know my grandparents would value.”
Since he opened Tarrytown Honda more than 5 years ago, Mr. Dachnowicz has made support of worthwhile local organizations a cornerstone of his operation. It is his way of being a good citizen and giving back to the community that makes the success of his dealership possible. “There isn’t anything more important than helping young children,” said Mr. Dachnowicz in making a long-term commitment to help underwrite the annual eighth-grade class trip to Washington, DC.
Mary McBride thanked Mr. Dachnowicz for making “such a generous commitment to The Foundation and to the children of our district.”
And so, in May every eighth-grade student at the Sleepy Hollow Middle School who wants to go on the trip will be able to attend, thanks to a partnership between Tarrytown Honda and The Foundation. The students will tour the Lincoln and Washington Memorials, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Newseum, the Vietnam War Memorial and a host of other historic landmarks, monuments and museums.
Mr. Dachnowicz said he was inspired by the community-wide support of The Foundation. Not only in terms of the much needed dollars that are donated, but also by the enthusiastic support for the innovative ideas that enhance learning which are made possible by The Foundation. Mary McBride returned the compliment by telling Mr. Dachnowicz that “Your support of the programs that enrich the experience of all our students in this wonderful school district is an inspiration to all of us who love it.”
