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Brooklyn Heights writer, civic leader honored at Randall’s Island Park Alliance gala

Diane ‘Pinky’ Keehner is one of the stars at Icahn Stadium

June 23, 2025 Owen Lavine

Longtime Brooklyn Heights resident and author Pinky Keehner speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine

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RANDALL’S ISLAND — The Randall’s Island Park Alliance celebrated the 20th year of Icahn Stadium on Tuesday night, June 10. The 2025 Randall’s Island Gala was headlined by longtime Brooklyn Heights Association member Pinky Keehner, whose new book “The Discus Thrower Meets Peter Pan” tells the story of how she rescued the discus thrower statue from storage and placed it in front of Icahn Stadium.

Randall’s Island Park Alliance President Deborah Maher speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine — Randall’s Island Park Alliance President Deborah Maher speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine

The Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA) has led the redevelopment of Randall’s Island, starting in the 90s. RIPA helped secure funding for Icahn Stadium, which was built on the old Downing Stadium where Jimi Hendrix played, Jesse Owens ran in the 1936 Olympic trials and Pele made his debut for the New York Cosmos. Now, Icahn Stadium continues to host athletes from around the world — including Usain Bolt who set a record there in 2008 — and provides a track for kids in the Randall’s Island neighborhood: the South Bronx, Harlem and Upper Manhattan. Icahn Stadium primarily hosts track and field events.

Two dancers entertain guests at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine — Two dancers entertain guests at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine

The gala was attended by over 450 donors, friends and board members at the Randall’s Island Urban Farm. Keehner, Xavier High School Track and Field Coach Pat Dormer — who ran his first race at the old Downing Stadium as a kid — and New York Road Runners Chief Development Officer & Board of the Central Park Track Club President Alex Egan, all gave short speeches during the gala.

Xavier High School Track and Field Coach Pat Dormer speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine — Xavier High School Track and Field Coach Pat Dormer speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine

“I am so delighted to be here tonight to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Icahn and to be honored as an author,” Keehner said during her comments. Keehner joined RIPA “30 years ago [when] we were Rich Davis, Karen Cohen, Amy Boden, Scott McAuliffe and me.”

“The passion that singularly unites us is our shared and fervent desire to provide a better place for the child who never explored the water’s edge, never dug for worms, never saw a sunset or swung a bat or blasted down a track or tossed a discus,” Keehner continued. “We want you to know that we are here with you to work to protect and maintain our unique treasure, to keep fighting for the ability of our kids to come and learn and play in the safety of this park.”

Keehner was followed by Dormer, who reflected on his over 40-year track career.

“When I was a freshman in high school, I got to run at Downing Stadium for the first time. It looked like an old Colosseum,” Dormer said. “But for me — a track kid, a lover of history, a nerdy kid from Queens — it was somewhere special.”

The 2025 Randall’s Island Gala was held at the Randall’s Island Urban Farm on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine — The 2025 Randall’s Island Gala was held at the Randall’s Island Urban Farm on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine

Dormer, whose team trains at Icahn Stadium, has won six Catholic High School New York State titles and led the first New York City High School team to the Nike Cross Nationals.

Chief Development Officer at New York Road Runners and President of the Board of the Central Park Track Club Alex Egan speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine — Chief Development Officer at New York Road Runners and President of the Board of the Central Park Track Club Alex Egan speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine

“Icahn Stadium has given the track and field community in New York a place where kids can work towards a goal, a place where they can dream big dreams, because they have seen the magic happen [here],” Dormer said.

Egan echoed Dormer’s remarks, describing the Island as “magical.”

Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board of Trustees Co-Chair Nancy Neff speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine — Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board of Trustees Co-Chair Nancy Neff speaks at the 2025 Randall’s Island Gala on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Brooklyn Eagle photo by Owen Lavine

“What they didn’t tell me was that apparently once you’re working here or involved here there’s no way to escape,” he joked.

Following the speeches an auction was held. Volunteers and employees of the Randall’s Island Urban Farm also hosted stands showcasing the farm’s work, which includes composting, growing over 4,000 pounds of food which is donated to local food pantries and teaching anyone interested how to garden.

“Randall’s Island Park is the embodiment of the soul of The Discus Thrower Meets Peter Pan, patience and endurance, the ability to dream and imagine, the importance of good friends, all with a little bit of fairy dust along the way,” Keehner said. “That’s what it took and that’s what it will continue to take to preserve and protect and maintain our part for generations to come.”