The Sugarplum Sled
closes its 2025 Season
by ringing the Closing Bell!

NYSE CLOSING BELL DEC 26

ON A MISSION

Driving to deliver the urgent, requested needs of housing-insecure NYC public school children and their families who are identified to us by public school and social welfare professionals. Join us.

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Everyday Delivery

Emergency Relief with The Service Sled

Delivering urgent, targeted support to NYC public school families in need.

Who We Help

Holiday Delivery

Gift Wishes with The Sugarplum Sled

Fulfilling the holiday Gift Wishes requested by NYC public school kids in need.

Sugarplum Press

Services

The mission of the Sled is to assist low-income NYC Public School students and their families. Nearly 90% of the students we assist are homeless or temporarily housed, living in shelters or other doubled or tripled up with other extended family in temporary housing.

We deliver individualized assistance to children and families who are identified to us through school professionals. The Service Sled coordinates with school officials throughout the year while our Sugarplum Sled launches in time for Thanksgiving and ends with the New Year.

If you know of a family in need who meets the criteria mentioned above, please encourage them to reach out to their children's school professionals about their needs. We hope to help as many students and their families as feasible.

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Who We Help

Sugarplums in the Press

About Us Anchor

The Sled Drivers

Your group are like magic fairies.
You are saving people's lives. I swear, you are the best thing about what I do.

Manager, Office of Community Schools

Read more said about the Sled

Co-President, Co-Founder & Treasurer

Katie Sperling

Katie is a former adjunct assistant professor of political science at Columbia and has held positions as PTA president, Treasurer and Fundraiser at three public schools. She served on a Joint Task Force for Gifted and Talented Education chaired by Borough Presidents Diaz and Adams. She has two graduates of NYC public-school schools.

Co-President & Co-Founder

Rana Strazza

A life-long performer, Rana is a director, producer, composer, and screenwriter with a career executive-producing corporate and theatrical events. She created a developmental theater that trained hundreds of public school students in the Arts, introducing many to professional representation and careers (including her two daughters).

Board Secretary

Susan Townes

Susan has been a constant contributor to the Sled and recently joined the Board. She formerly worked in technology at various software companies and JP Morgan Chase, and ended her career as Parent Coordinator at PS 276. She also was PTA Co-President at her daughter’s NYC public elementary and high school for nine years. She lives in New York and New Jersey with her husband.

Social Media Coordinator

Alex West

A NYC native and proud graduate of the city’s public school system, Alex holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Vermont and the University of Southern California. A data manager at NYC-based startup, Fitbiomics, she dedicates time and technical expertise through community work with the Sled, supporting the city and schools that shaped her.

Board Member

Hannah Wiltshire

Born and raised in NYC, Hannah has dedicated her life to children, working for over 30 years as a teacher, educational leader and social worker with a Masters from Columbia in Social Work. She is the Director of the Lower School at Mary McDowell Friends School, a Quaker school for children with learning disabilities who attended NYC public schools, as did her three adult children.