In an effort to recognize individuals age 60 and over for their contributions to Long Island in improving the region's quality of life, School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) will have its second annual Sixty Over Sixty Awards Gala on Tuesday, November 10 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. Among the gala's sponsors are The Office of New York State Senator Owen Johnson, FESTO, BAE Systems, Ziehm Medical, Northrop-Grumman, accessLinx, Inc., Event Journal and the Crest Hollow Country Club. LI Pulse Magazine is the media sponsor, and the event's master of ceremonies will be David Weiss, weather anchor for WLNY TV55.

Many were nominated for this prestigious award. "We are pleased to hold this special event in honor of those who have made Long Island a better place to live," Fred Breithut, Founder/President, SBPLI, said. "This event will also benefit our robotics competitions, which has fostered the younger generation's interest in science, technology and engineering." Last year's inaugural gala had over 600 people in attendance and was indeed a success!

The funds raised will support SBPLI and its FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competition. SBPLI's FIRST Robotics Competition is a two-day culminating event that is preceded by a six-week project dedicated to building a 130-pound robot in each school district.

Each year, SBPLI must raise $200,000 annually 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 and others.

While SBPLI is celebrating its 25th anniversary, its current flagship program, Long Island FIRST, entered its 10th consecutive 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. This year, 47 teams from Long Island, the New York metropolitan area, New Jersey and Ohio participated in the Long Island Regionals. It is expected that up to 50 teams will participate in the 2010 Regionals. Those that qualify will go on to the national 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 critical circle that SBPLI has created ... from high school students to engineering college graduates, to filling hundreds of engineering positions at Long Island and other national firms," Mr. Breithut said.

Tickets for the Sixty Over Sixty Awards Gala are available for $150 per person, or $1,350 per table of ten. Sponsorship and journal advertisement opportunities are still available. Local vendors and shops are being asked to donate items for the raffle, with ticket sales benefiting SBPLI's robotics programs.

For questions and assistance, call (516) 997-1950, or email Ellen@hjmt.com. For more information about the gala, visit www.sbpligala.c