Fred Breithut, Founder and President of Melville-based School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, is working to gain recognition for Long Islanders who, even at the age of 60 and over, are still contributing to making the Long Island way of life one of the finest in the nation.

In an effort to bolster Mr. Breithut's efforts to recognize those older individuals in Long Island, SBPLI will have its "Sixty Over Sixty" Awards Gala on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. New York State Senator Owen H. Johnson will be named SBPLI's Lifetime Honoree. The Sixty Over Sixty gala is sponsored by Senator Johnson, FESTO, BAE Systems, Ziehm Medical, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, School Construction Corporation, Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union, Better Home Health Care, accessLinx, Inc., Event Journal, Crest Hollow Country Club and Intelligent Office – Garden City.

Over 80 people were nominated for this prestigious award. "I'm 83 years old and one thing I've realized is that there are a lot of good people around the Island who have not been recognized for their contribution to making this Island a great place to live," Mr. Breithut said.

The funds raised will support the SBPLI and its FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics and Lego League competitions. SBPLI's FIRST Robotics Competition is a two-day culminating event that is preceded by a six-week event dedicated to building a 130-pound robot in each school district within a six-week timeframe. Each year, SBPLI must raise $200,000.00 to pay for the event. Senator Johnson's office has been a major supporter of this program. Financial assistance has also come in the way of sponsorships by Northrop Grumman, FESTO, BAE Systems, DeVry University, Farmingdale State College, Stony Brook University, Washington Mutual Bank and others.

While SBPLI is 25 years old, its current flagship program, Long Island FIRST is entering its 10th year in 2009. The U.S. FIRST Robotics was started in 1989 by inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen. In 2000, SBPLI held its first Long Island regional tournament — the first of its kind in New York State, according to Mr. Breithut. By 2009, the Long Island Regionals will have 45-50 teams (school districts) participating. Those that qualify will go on to the championships in Atlanta, Georgia.

SBPLI became involved in the FIRST Robotics competition as a way for high school students to garner interest in the science and technology fields. "The Sixty Over Sixty gala will help us raise funds to allow this program to grow and reach more of our region's young people. We're honoring Long Island's older generation, who have helped make our region a great place to live, and in doing so, raising funds to help build a future generation of science and technology leaders. It's a nice circle," Mr. Breithut said.

Tickets for the Sixty Over Sixty Awards Gala are available for $125.00 per person or $1,125.00 per table if purchased before August 15. After that date, tickets are $150.00 per person, or $1,350.00 per table.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. A Headline Sponsor is $50,000.00, and $25,000.00 for a Leadership Sponsor. Other opportunities include Knowledge Sponsor ($15,000.00), Teamwork Sponsor ($10,000.00), Confidence Sponsor ($7,500.00), Experience Sponsor ($5,000.00) and Motivation Sponsor ($3,500.00).

Journal advertisement opportunities are also available. For those who are interested in a Platinum Ad, the cost is $2,500.00, and a Gold Ad costs $2,000.00. Other opportunities include a Silver Ad ($1,500.00), Bronze Ad ($1,000.00), Copper Ad ($500.00) and Friends Ad ($250.00). Checks and credit cards are accepted. All checks should be made payable to SBPLI.

For questions and assistance, call (516) 997-1950, or email at lori@hjmt.com.