The Historical Society of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown honored Sleepy Hollow resident Armando “Chick” Galella at their annual fundraiser on December 31, 2020. Galella received the 2020 Preservation Award for his contributions in educating school children and other local residents about 20th century history, preserving memorials and honoring the memory of all veterans.
Although the event was held via Zoom, approximately 100 attendees toasted Galella simultaneously with sparkling wine while sampling sweet and savory treats delivered in advance by Historical Society board members. Attendees watched a film by Tim Grajek showing The Historical Society’s Executive Director Sara Mascia interviewing Galella about his front row seat to the villages’ history. After accepting the award, Galella thanked The Historical Society for the award and for supporting his work on a Gold Star Mother’s monument to be placed in Horan’s Landing in Sleepy Hollow.
This special award is reserved for works that exemplify best practices in historic preservation and build stronger neighborhoods, create local jobs, introduce resident to overlooked history, and honor people, places and culture special to the villages. “We did not give Chick the award because he is a local treasure, although he is. And not because he just turned 100, although he did,” said Tara Van Tassell, President of The Historical Society. “We gave him the award because of the incredible work he has done to preserve and safeguard our local history.”