Inspire to honor William J. Devitt with community service award

Goshen - Few individuals have done as much for Inspire as William J. Devitt. He has been part of Inspire since 1985, having first served on the Board of Directors and now as president of the Inspire Foundation. This year, Inspire is honored to recognize Devitt with its 2006 Community Service Award. The award will be presented on Nov. 18 at the Inspire Foundation Holiday Ball, an event that, under Devitt’s leadership, has become the Foundations most successful fundraising event. According to Inspire’s Executive Director, Gene J. Gengel, ”This year Inspire is proud to present its Community Service Award to Devitt for his long-standing support and hard work in helping Inspire reach its goals.” The Holiday Ball will feature Jimmy Sturr and his orchestra and will be held at the Middletown Elks Lodge at the corner of Highland Ave. and Prospect St. in Middletown. According to Gengel, Devitt is passionate about the mission of Inspire: informing, educating and providing programs and services for people with disabilities, and for individuals with financial constraints. While his efforts have been a key factor in the continued development of the Inspire Foundation and Inspire, Devitt continues to look ahead to the future. Growing an endowment tops his list, and proceeds from the 2006 Inspire Foundation Holiday Ball will be invested by the Foundation in perpetuity. For 37 years, Devitt has been a financial advisor with Advest, Inc., which is now Merrill Lynch. He is a former mayor of the Village of Montgomery, director of the Walden Federal Savings and Loan Association, board member of the Community Foundation of Orange County, commissioner of the Montgomery Fire Department, and current member of the Middletown Rotary Club, among numerous other past and present affiliations. “All are invited to commemorate Devitt’s outstanding accomplishments and efforts to Inspire, a new generation of services for people with special challenges in Orange County,” said Gengel. All proceeds will go to the Inspire Foundation, which financially supports Inspire. Inspire, located in Goshen, has been providing a variety of outpatient diagnostic and treatment services for people with disabilities in Orange County for over 50 years. Inspire Kids is a special education preschool for children ages two and a half to five years of age with special needs or challenges. The community is invited to help Inspire honor William J. Devitt by placing an ad in the Holiday Ball Journal. For more information on the Ball, call 845-294-7300 ext. 235. Information on Inspire’s services can be found at www.inspirecp.org.