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UNAYO recognizes Valerie and Willie Tutt and other local leaders
UNAYO began as the brainchild of 29 community minded men. During the 1980s, much of North Amityville, like hamlets across America, found itself blighted with the infestation of drugs in its community. Some band-aid solutions were attempted but a group of fathers in the community sought a broader, more comprehensive approach to the problem and brought recreational, cultural and education alternatives to the community's youth. The result were the Teams Against Drugs or TAD, a coed softball team under the PAL. Ten volunteers, including Willie Tutt, Paul Green, Curtiss Courts, Ken Alves, Hosea Green, Valerie Tutt and Shirley Sims managed the 72 players from ages 8-18. TAD eventually merged with another successful program administered by Valerie Tutt and Diane Mimms, the North Amityville Black History Youth Awareness Class, also promoting educational and cultural programs for young people. In 1989, the groups formed UNAYO, which is now housed at 48 Cedar Rd., North Amityville and offers hundreds of youngsters, not only athletic and cultural opportunities but also tutoring and mentoring programs. The community dedication and scholarship awards were presented at a luncheon at UNAYO headquarters. Also recognized were Karl Demiko Chin, police officer of the year; Yvette Miller, fire-rescue person of the year; NYS Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney, government official of the year; Maria Quinones, educator of the year, Joanne Goodman and Nat DiSilvestre, community service honorees of the year; Andree Cheek, Vera Slinger and Fred Thompson, volunteers of the year; and Pak's Karate Academy and the Amityville Record newspaper, business of the year.
Darren Bond, a graduate of Copiague High School and a recreation director at UNAYO, was awarded a special recognition. "It is through his diligent efforts that the recreation component of UNAYO has had a tremendous success," said Sonji Crawford Clark, executive director of UNAYO of Bond. "He is a role model and through his actions everyday, he demonstrates the skills needed to be successful in life."
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