The Peter & Jeri Dejana Foundation announced plans to commit more than $26 million in grants in 2026 Monday, March 2, tripling its 2025 giving and marking the largest single year of philanthropy in the organization’s history.
Foundation leaders unveiled the “26 in ’26” initiative during a kickoff event at the Port Washington Fire Department headquarters, where community officials, nonprofit partners and residents gathered to celebrate the expansion.
The foundation, established in 2010 by the late Peter Dejana, who died in 2024, has focused its giving on local and regional charities, particularly those serving the greater Port Washington community on Long Island.
Officials said the increased funding will support community development and civic initiatives, pediatric health care and medical research, veteran services, animal welfare organizations and regional and national nonprofit programs.
“In 2026, the foundation plans to distribute $26 million in support of organizations across our community that serve children, veterans, families and neighbors in need,” said Scott Reich, a foundation director, who served as master of ceremonies.
Reich also mentioned that as part of its long-term commitment to Port Washington, the foundation plans to establish a permanent home on foundation-owned property on Shore Road in Baxter Estates.
In 2025, the foundation supported 110 organizations and 131 programs and initiatives, committing nearly $7.9 million in grants. Of that amount, more than $7.2 million went to Long Island-based initiatives, including nearly $4.9 million directed to projects in greater Port Washington.
Speakers detailed how those dollars have translated into tangible impact.
Elizabeth Merkouris Syslo of Make-A-Wish Metro New York said the Dejana foundation’s support helped grant 927 wishes last year for children battling critical illnesses across the five boroughs and Long Island.
“A wish gives a child and a family something to look forward to,” she said. “On behalf of every child whose wish was granted, thank you for believing in our mission and for making the impossible possible.”
Marty Lyons, founding chairman of the Marty Lyons Foundation and a member of the New York Jets Ring of Honor, credited the foundation’s partnership with helping his organization expand its reach to families of children with life-threatening illnesses.
“When you look at the Dejana Foundation, you’re looking at a legacy,” Lyons said. “A winner in the game of life is the person who gives of themselves so others can grow. That’s what they’ve done for this community.”
North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and Council Member Mariann Dalimonte, who spoke during the event, said the foundation’s support has been especially critical in times of crisis.
Fire department leaders detailed how foundation grants funded life-saving equipment, including defibrillators, a state-of-the-art ambulance and a $1 million commitment to underwrite construction of a new fire training center.
Chris Bollerman, the department’s treasurer and a former chief, said the impact has been direct and measurable.
“Every single life saved in the Port Washington community over the past decade that was saved through defibrillation was made possible because of the generosity of the Peter & Jeri Foundation,” he said. “It means lives saved, not someday but every single day.”
Elena Chwat, a first-grade teacher and single mother whose home was destroyed in a fire earlier in February, shared her gratitude.
“I saw my safe little world reduced to ashes,” Chwat said.
Within days, she said, foundation leaders told her to make a list of what she needed to rebuild.
“Within one week of losing everything, my girls and I opened the door to a new home with new beds, a couch, desks, a TV, a space that truly felt like it could become our home,” she said. “The generosity and kindness of this foundation proved to my family that there are good people in this world.”
Throughout the program, speakers emphasized that while the 2026 commitment represents a record-breaking financial pledge, the mission remains rooted in service.
“Philanthropy at its best is not about headlines,” Reich said. “It’s about continuity. It’s about showing up year after year and believing we have a responsibility to leave our community better than we found it.”
