The East Rockaway School District varsity boys basketball team took on Locust Valley High School at its senior game at East Rockaway High School on Feb. 7. East Rockaway seniors were honored and gave flowers to their parents during the game.
The teams also held a fundraiser for SIBS Place, a free therapeutic program of South Nassau Communities Hospital which serves children ages 5-17 who are living with a sibling or parent with cancer or another devastating illness. The group provides support and attention to the unique experience and needs of the well children as they face the issues and conflicts related to the illness of their loved one.

Photo Captions: The East Rockaway School District varsity boys basketball team took on Locust Valley High School at its senior game on Feb. 7.

Photo courtesy of the East Rockaway School District

Briarcliff High School students have come together to form the Special Olympics Club, a group focused on volunteering for the international Special Olympics organization.

The Special Olympics promotes understanding, acceptance, and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities and provides people with intellectual disabilities opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship.
Club members recently volunteered at their first Special Olympics event, a regional floor hockey competition in Yonkers.

“We cheered in the stands, kept score and checked in on the athletes before every game,” said club member James Varriano. “We all had a lot of fun, especially interacting with the athletes. We talked to [them] about their practice schedules, favorite sports teams and upcoming events. They were very excited to have us there. There were a lot of fist pumps and high fives.”

The club members are looking forward to volunteering at future Special Olympics events.

Photo Caption: Members of Briarcliff High School’s newly-formed Special Olympics Club volunteered at a regional floor hockey event in Yonkers.

Photo courtesy of the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District

W.T. Clarke Middle School students in the East Meadow School District raised more than $800 for the American Heart Association by participating in the schoolwide Hoops for Heart program from Jan. 23-27.
According to its website, the American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To assist in the battle, schools can host Jump Rope for Heart or Hoops for Heart fundraisers that promote physical activity, heart healthy living and community service.
During their gym classes, students rotated among stations to enhance their basketball skills by practicing ball control and making jump shots and layups. Afterward, the classes participated in a knockout tournament, eliminating each other by scoring baskets before their opponent until two finalists were left to face off in a championship match-up.

Photo Captions:

W.T. Clarke Middle School students raised more than $800 for the American Heart Association by participating in the schoolwide Hoops for Heart program.

Photos courtesy of the East Meadow School District

Seventh- and eighth-graders at Woodland Middle School in the East Meadow School District put their love for sports into practice as they raised money for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The school’s athletic department hosted two fundraisers to benefit the causes — a powder puff football game and a volleyball tournament.

Assistant Principals Patricia Graham and Christine Egan led two teams of students for the football game. Students, teachers and administrators paid $2 to watch the game on the school’s football field, raising a total of $780 for Memorial Sloan Kettering.
On Jan. 3, the girls volleyball team held a round-robin tournament, where teams played each other for five minutes in elimination rounds until two final teams were set to play. The tournament raised $200 for St. Jude.

Photo Captions:

Woodland Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade students held a powder puff football game on Nov. 1, raising $780 for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Photos courtesy of the East Meadow School District

Service is one of the main pillars of the mission at Marquette University, and as such community service plays a major role in the Marquette student-athlete experience. The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ goal for the 2016-17 school year is to reach a combined 3,000 hours of community service.

From this year’s start date of April 1, 2016, Marquette student-athletes have collectively surpassed this goal and completed a total of 3,651 community service hours over 56 different locations around Milwaukee. This is almost double the amount of hours from last year at this time and triple the number of locations.

Teams report their own community service in an effort to win the Magis Team Spirit Cup, an award given to one team for hours spent volunteering in the community, as well as academic performance, student-athlete development and showing support of fellow student-athletes in various ways.

As of Jan. 31, 2017, women’s lacrosse leads the way with 745.5 service hours, followed by women’s cross country with 517. Men’s soccer ranks third with 471 service hours, followed by women’s basketball with 397.5 and women’s track & field with 322.5.

Collectively, these five teams account for over 2,000 hours of service and 67 percent of the student-athlete total so far this year. Hours will continue to be tallied until April 1, 2017.

1. Women’s lacrosse – 745.5
2. Women’s cross country – 517
3. Men’s soccer – 471
4. Women’s basketball – 397.5
5. Women’s track & field – 322.5

In first place, women’s lacrosse has compiled its 745.5 service hours through events such as Briggs and Al’s Run for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Pancreatic Cancer Power of Purple 5k and PurpleLight Vigil. The team’s support of Pancreatic Cancer in particular will be furthered on April 22 as the team hosts Butler for its annual “PanCan” game.

Women’s cross country tallied its 517 service hours through a handful of events, including Campus Kitchens, Easter Seals Wisconsin Camp, Jewish Home and Care Center and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Easter Seals Wisconsin creates life-changing solutions for individuals with disabilities and their families.

Third-place men’s soccer notched 471 service hours through the Boys and Girls Club, Hunger Task Force and Fan Fest. Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee’s free and local food bank and anti-hunger advocate.

Women’s basketball participated in Play if Forward, AIDS Walk, Hunger Clean-Up and hosted a Girl Scout Clinic to compile its 397.5 service hours for fourth place. At the Girl Scout Clinic, the players ran eight different stations to teach basketball skills.

In fifth place, women’s track & field served its 322.5 hours of service at events such as Lung Force Walk, Make a Difference Day, Girls on the Run and Campus Kitchens. The Lung Force Walk raises awareness and funds for the American Lung Association and took place at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

Source: http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/sa-perf/spec-rel/020917aab.html