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Orange County Land Trust Receives Award from FDNY for Preservation of Arrow Park Lands Monroe, NY (OCLT) The Orange County Land Trust was recognized by the Fire Department of New York at the 7th Annual FDNY Memorial Tree Planting Ceremony at Arrow Park for the Land Trust's efforts in the preservation of the park. The Land Trust was honored by the Counseling Service Unit of the FDNY for leading a successful 10-year campaign, raising over $5.3 million to forever protect the 80-acre memorial planting area and the entire Arrow Park Lake. The annual tree planting began in 2002 and is well attended by families of firefighters who lost a loved one on 9/11 in the line of duty. The event is organized by the FDNY's Counseling Service Unit with volunteer support from ABC, Inc and its parent company, The Walt Disney Company. "We are so very pleased to be honored by the Fire Department of New York and to be here in the presence of so many who are helped by visiting this beautiful, natural area," said Mary Yrizarry, vice president of the Orange County Land Trust. "The healing power of the environment is one reason we work so hard to make sure these open spaces will be here for future generations." It is expected that by the end of 2008, New York State will add 259 acres of Arrow Park to the adjacent Sterling Forest State Park. The future goal is to purchase the remaining 75 acres and buildings and for Arrow Park to become a non profit center for international, national and local family support programs on grief and recovery. With support from The Walt Disney Company and ABC, Inc., Arrow Park has hosted special programs for children whose families were killed in Sierra Leone, Africa and children who have suffered domestic violence in New York. In addition, a delegation of Catholic and Protestant young people recently worked together to paint the main recreational building at Arrow Park with support from Habitat for Humanity. Trees have also been planted in honor of soldiers killed in Iraq, and Calvary Hospital in New York sponsors an annual camp for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one. For more information on other lands protected by the Orange County Land Trust, and for volunteer opportunities, please visit our website at oclt.org. The Orange County Land Trust is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve the fields, forests, wetlands, ridgelines and river corridors, as well as working farms, in and around Orange County through voluntary land conservation. |
