WNY nonprofit that supports people with disabilities presents Depew Mayor with its "Cantalician Community Leader Award" 

BUFFALO, NY - Cantalician Center for Learning, Inc. presented Village of Depew Mayor Kevin Peterson with its Cantalician Community Leader Award (CCL Award) on October 22, 2020 as it opens its Virtual Auction to its generous donors and supporters. Mayor Peterson was instrumental in helping to obtain funding through Senator Tim Kennedy's Office and New York State for traffic safety improvements along George Urban Boulevard next to the nonprofit organization's school building. Specifically, the funds helped designate the stretch of the roadway as an official School Zone with a lowered speed limit. This effort has helped make the school safer for the hundreds of students and staff members that utilize the sidewalks and green space near the roadway during the school week.

The annual CCL Award is presented to a person or organization in the community that has gone above and beyond their role to ensure that Cantalician Center has the opportunity to provide exceptional service, no exceptions for years to come. The award recipients that proceed Mayor Peterson include: Philanthropist and Restaurateur Russell J. Salvatore, Senator Tim Kennedy, and President of Tri-Main Development Matt Wolfe.

"We are thrilled to present this year's CCL Award to Mayor Peterson. He truly embodies all that the award encompasses. When we reached out to him for help to make our school a safer place to learn and play, he quickly swooped in and made our dream a reality. It is with the advocacy of partners like him that we have been able to offer meaningful, integrated services that promote independence for nearly 65 years across Western New York," said Anne Spisiak, Executive Director, Cantalician Center.

"Having built our home not far from Cantalician Center's Academic Campus on George Urban Boulevard [GUB], my wife and I have seen the heavy traffic that travels past the organization for more than 30 years. More than 15,000 vehicles travel that stretch of GUB every day. It became important to me as the Mayor of Depew to take steps to make that stretch of road safer for the students and staff of the Cantalician as well as the residents living in the neighborhoods along that road. The Village Board of Trustees along with help from Senator Tim Kennedy and the Erie County Department of Transportation, turned the portion of GUB into a school speed zone and erected a static "School Zone" speed limit reduction sign to ensure that roadway was safer for all that enjoy it," said Village of Depew Mayor Keven Peterson. "More recently, the Village of Depew was provided grant funding from the state to support and upgrade the signage to include flashing beacons and a speed reading device in front of the school. The grant also included a state-of-the-art Infrared Low-Bridge Warning System to help reduce the number of tractor trailers striking the CSX Railroad Bridge that is located further east on George Urban Boulevard. The Village Police Department and Fire Department have had to divert valuable resources to attend to the more than 24 vehicle strikes at this bridge over the past 2 years. With that, I am so incredibly honored to be recognized as this year's Cantalician Community Leader Award winner."

About Mayor Kevin Peterson: Kevin Peterson is a 31-year resident of the Village of Depew, a Volunteer Firefighter with Depew Fire Department, a past Village Trustee/Deputy Mayor and the current Mayor of the Village of Depew. He is originally from Yorktown Heights, New York in Westchester County. Peterson attended college at the University at Buffalo and then remained in Western New York. He met his wife Anita in the early 80s, they have been married for 36 years, and have two beautiful children together. Aside from working as the Mayor of Depew, Peterson works for a locally based Information Technology (IT) company as a Sr. Account Manager and Vendor Relations Manager.

Cantalician Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that offers meaningful, integrated services to hundreds of children and adults with disabilities and people in need across Western New York from birth through retirement through its Early Childhood Community Services, School Age, Preschool, and Daycare services, as well as its Day Habilitation Services, Respite, Employment Services, and Contract Sales through its division Diversified Labor Solutions. 

For more information about Cantalician Center for Learning visit www.CantalicianCenter.org.

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