BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Dec. 19, 2016) – On Monday, the LIU Post men’s lacrosse team took the time to bag lunches for the less fortunate at The Inn in Hempstead.

The Pioneer student-athletes put together over 100 bagged lunches, which included a sandwich and a bag of potato chips. The food came by way of generous donations from Utz and Galeo Provisions.

“It is great to see a team come together to support our community,” said Head Coach John Jez. “From setting time aside during finals, obtaining the donations of the products, putting the lunches together and the delivery of the lunches, it is humbling to witness the dedication of the team to help others.”

Jez also added: “I am glad that we can to this type of direct hands-on service, especially during a time of year when everyone is extremely busy. I am proud of the team for their efforts to put others first.”

The Inn at Hempstead was founded in 1983 as a single soup kitchen, ran by a small group of concerned volunteers. Today, it is a working model of how to unite the community to overcome the challenge of hunger and homelessness, on Long Island.

For more information on The Inn at Hempstead, please visit The-Inn.org.

More than 150 runners recently participated in the sixth annual Connetquot School District Habitat for Humanity Club’s 5k and Santa Fun Run.

The event’s fundraising efforts drew in a grand total of $5,000, which will be donated Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk County to help build new homes throughout the community.

Photo Caption: Connetquot High School students Cory Carrara and Kelly Iocca served as “Santa’s Helpers” by helping to set the pace during the 5k.

Photo courtesy of Connetquot Central School District/Joseph Maniaci

Over the past week, the LIU Post men’s and women’s lacrosse teams got into the holiday spirit by collecting toys for the Matthew Fetzer Foundation.

The Pioneer student-athletes donated over 150 toys to the foundation for Hanukkah and Christmas.

The Matthew Fetzer Foundation, which started in 2005, is a non-for-profit organization that distributes toys, hosts parties and provides financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families.

“Collecting and donating toys is an annual event for our team,” Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach John Jez stated. “The guys really enjoy giving back and there is no better way than to help make a child’s holiday special.”

“During this busy season, our two teams were able to help in a small, but impactful way,” said Pioneers’ women’s lacrosse student-athlete Lindsay Bleistein. “By collecting and giving presents to children in surrounding hospitals, I feel that we were able to embody what this year is all about.”

For more information on the Matthew Fetzer Foundation, please visit their official Facebook page by clicking here.

Courtesy of LIU Post Sports Information Dept.

The William Floyd High School cheerleaders have just earned first place and a $3,000 grant in the Team Up 4 Community (TU4C) Long Island Holiday Sports Heroes Video Challenge for their work in raising awareness and support for Rett Syndrome. The grant will be awarded at the organization’s end-of-year dinner in May 2017.

In an email to varsity cheerleading coach Alyssa Cabrera announcing the award, TU4C Executive Director, Teresa Webb, said, “Thank you for sharing the great work you have done in raising funds and awareness for Rett Syndrome. It is inspiring work and we thank you for teaching your students the importance of community impact!”

Ms. Cabrera is excited that the cheerleaders are helping to bring awareness to a great cause and also expressed thanks to TU4C for the opportunity, as well as to the community for their support in voting in the challenge. “It’s so amazing to see the love that the school and community has for the program,” she said. The grant will likely be used for equipment and/or a cheer/tumbling camp to help the student-athletes work on their techniques and stunts, as well as improve strength.

TU4C is an organization founded by former New York Islander Steve Webb which promotes social responsibility and community giveback through athletics. By showcasing community service, TU4C fosters young peoples’ senses of civic engagement and community and helps them achieve their educational, developmental and social goals. As a result, communities are strengthened. Community service ultimately helps impact the areas we live in by creating a sense of pride and duty to return to society some of the benefits that society has given to the volunteers.

Source: http://www.wfsd.k12.ny.us/index.php/2016/12/9263/

NEWARK – In the spirit of the season, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams and the cross country team recently participated in community outreach efforts to give back.

The women’s basketball team, led by Head Coach Jim Kane, provided a clinic to local Catholic Youth Ministries (CYM) Sports affiliates. With numerous coaches from all age groups ranging from third-grade through high school, the young women of Delaware Technical Community College and their coach offered tips and ran through drills to help youth basketball coaches better understand the game, practice planning, learn more about play development, and develop the skills needed to coach and make better basketball players for tomorrow. Getting rave reviews from the local CYM, Head Coach Jim Kane said, “The girls and I really wanted to make an impact on youth basketball in the state of Delaware in our local community. I believe with this annual event we can consider ourselves a part of its success. It was an honor to do, and we look forward to doing it in the future.”

The men’s basketball team also stepped up to the line when they went to Ferris Boys School for a question and answer session, which was held not only for the student-athletes at Ferris, but the coaches as well. With a desire to give back in a positive way, Head Coach Larry Banks took his hard-working men’s team to Ferris to show that everyone has obstacles and challenges they must overcome. During the question and answer session, the boys talked with Delaware Tech’s Collegewide Athletic Coordinator Ryan Lally, Assistant Coaches Anthony Horne and Eric Watson, and Larry Banks about different topics relating to success in athletics, the real world and basketball. Coach Banks was sincerely humbled to work with the student-athletes and coaches at Ferris. Coach Banks stated, “Working with at-risk youth is always such a positive experience for my student-athletes and coaching staff. This event is one we look forward to doing every year.”

The student-athletes and coaching staff at Ferris were able to observe Delaware Tech’s student-athletes as they ran through practice drills and a little high-flying action. The feedback from Ferris was extremely positive and reflected their enthusiasm and desire for Delaware Tech Basketball to continue these sessions as the impact on their students lasts far longer than the time spent at Ferris.

Finally, the Cross Country team participated with the Adopt-a-Family organization which helps Delaware families in crisis who ae struggling with illness, homelessness, domestic violence, poverty or unemployment. The Delaware Tech Cross Country team and the Athletics departments sponsored two families for Christmas and raised $500 for Walmart giftcards so that heads-of-households could purchase gifts and necessities for the holiday season.

Photo: The Cross Country team gives back this holiday season.

Source: https://www.dtcc.edu/about/news/2016/12/16/delaware-tech-athletes-give-back