Wantagh Middle School students participated in the school’s annual Hoops for Heart event to raise money for the American Heart Association through participation in physical education classes’ shooting contests. The students raised more than $7, 500 this year, ranking them among the top fundraising schools on Long Island. During the last 18 years, Wantagh Middle School has raised a total of $150,000 for the American Heart Association for medical research and educational programs to fight heart disease and stroke.

Eighth grader Julia Wilkinson was the top fundraiser having collected $720. Class winners from grades 6-8 included Amanda Amato, Andrew Amato, Bobby Ambrosino, Cole Belling, Riley Brady, Ava Cammarata, Amanda Ciaramella, Thomas Cupelli, Allison Davis, Matt Delaney, Kyle Dowden, Kristina Fuchs, Lauren Goldberg, Shaun Joyce, Grace Massari, Steven Mendolia, Timothy Migliaro, Lara Palazzolo, Jake Pettas, Louis Pizzileo, Michael Rathgaber, Sarah Rende, Michael Rodin, Julianna Rose, Shannon Sullivan, Jack Tartaglione, Madison Taylor, Nick Teresky, Hannah Watson, Ryan Whitaker, and Julia Wilkinson. All of the class winners then competed to become school champions, with Lauren Goldberg and Nick Teresky named female and male winners.

During the campaign, students learned about the lifelong health benefits of physical activity, importance of heart health and real-life lessons about volunteering, helping others, leadership and how their actions can help save lives.
“Hoops for Heart is a great way to bring students together for a great cause, physical activity and community service,” physical education teacher Eileen Keener said.

Photo Caption: Wantagh Middle School raised $7,500 for the American Heart Association during the Hoops for Heart campaign.

Photo courtesy of the Wantagh School District

As the W20 Foundation’s Project Team Up 4 Community (TU4C) closes out the 2015-16 Community Service Challenges, it is excited to be hosting a Long Island Sports Impact Awards Banquet on May 25 at the Fox Hollow in Woodbury.

The Honorees are NHL Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine, who starred for the Islanders, Rangers and Buffalo Sabres, and former NHL defenseman Mike Komisarek, an All-Star selection with the Montreal Canadiens in 2009.

New York Islanders Alumni will also be in attendance! Recipients of the TU4C Scholarships and Grants will join together with friends, family, supporters and Celebrity Athletes who all believe in the positive effect community service can play in our lives and celebrate the Community Impact we have made together in our L.I. Communities.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the banquet, email info@w20foundation.org or call 631 392-0397.

Recognizing that community service helps promote social responsibility and character in young people, TU4C will award out Scholarships and Grants to the Winners of the “Long Island Holiday Sports Heroes Video Challenge”, the “Long Island Spring Sports Heroes Video Challenge” and Male and Female Community Service Athlete of the Year. The Challenges are created to inspire student athletes to serve their communities with a chance to earn scholarships and grants totaling $12,000.

The “Long Island Sports Heroes Video Challenges” are interactive contests, which run twice a year, including March 1-April 30. Participants are required to share a short video of their community service work or their team’s community service work. The videos in each of the Holiday and Spring Challenge’s with the most votes receives a $3,000 scholarship / grant, second place receives $1,500 scholarship / grant, and third place receives a $500 scholarship / grant. For official contest rules go to www.TeamUp4Community.org

Retired New York Islander Hockey Player Steve Webb created Project Team Up 4 Community through his W20 Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting social responsibility and community giveback through athletics. By highlighting different types of community service, young athletes can learn life skills that in turn increase their self-confidence, promote responsibility, independence and help build strong character. Community services performed by youth strengthens young peoples’ senses of civic engagement and community and helps them to achieve their educational, developmental and social goals.

“Similar to athletics volunteering helps build character and self-esteem in young people while simultaneously helping make a difference in the lives of others,” says Webb, Team Up 4 Community Founder and President.

Communities are the backbone of Long Island, and its neighborhood, organizations, teams, schools and friends are joining together to collectively make a difference. TU4C builds and strengthens communities and individual characters by promoting social responsibility and community giveback.

About the W20 Foundation
Founded on Long Island in 2007 by former NY Islander Steve Webb, the W20 Foundation is committed to creating an environment where our youth athletes and others want to partake in community service and surround themselves with other like-minded, positive people who care about social responsibility.

In 2011, the Foundation launched a Project called Team Up 4 Community (TU4C). TU4C engages and empowers youth athletes and others to initiate community service projects through its online challenges. The platform also provides them with an interactive set of resources to advocate and promote their social responsibility amongst their peers, family, schools, organizations and communities. TU4C serves as a central hub and a launching pad to help develop new programs to meet athletes, organizations, and community needs.

Team Up 4 Community’s Online Challenges are making community service contagious.

Source: http://www.liherald.com/stories/LI-Sports-Impact-Banquet-set-for-May-25,78150?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=Team+Up+4+Community&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=&town_id=#.Vvl_WGUhWA8.email

Islip’s Commack Road Elementary School hosted its inaugural spring Hat Parade on March 18, marking the end of a weeklong fundraiser in which staff and students raised $1,551.41 for the Heavenly Hats Foundation, which collects and distributes brand new hats of all kinds to people who lose their hair due to the treatment of cancer or other medical conditions.

Students created or brought in their own “crazy hats” to proudly show off during the sunny parade, which included brightly clad Interim Principal Brian McCarthy as well as many parents and community members.
The Hat Parade was held in honor of the school’s longtime principal Jeannette Feminella, who is out on medical leave as she battles cancer, and other courageous cancer fighters. In attendance were Feminella’s husband and sons, who addressed the crowd in gratitude.
“Mrs. Feminella is a strong and positive individual who defines herself as a fighter and not a victim,” said school social worker Jasmin Dengeles, who helped organize the event. “Although she is a cancer survivor, she more importantly is a loving mother and wife, supportive community member, advocate for children, and fearless elementary school principal, among many other things. The parade was meant to acknowledge her always positive attitude, as well as show support for all of the other courageous cancer fighters.”
The event ended with a joyous dancing procession back to classes, set to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

Photo courtesy of the Islip School District

Locust Valley Intermediate School students jumped their hearts out to raise $6,500 the American Heart Association. From one-footed jumping to double-dutch style, students had fun while supporting a good cause.

Almost 70 students participated in the event by having sponsors donate money based on the amount of time they jumped rope. With music creating an energetic atmosphere, the school’s gymnasium was filled with energy and enthusiasm. Donations to the American Heart Association support cardiovascular research and educational programs to help save lives across the country.

Physical Education teacher Dan McAndrews organized the event. “I am very proud of the boys and girls of LVI who participated in this event,” he said. “Not only did the students learn about the importance of community service, but they also learned the importance of developing heart-healthy habits and that being physically active can be fun.”

Story and photo courtesy of Locust Valley School District

The Cancer Awareness Club raised almost $600 in one afternoon during a dodgeball tournament to raise funds and awareness for the club’s main event, Relay for Life, which will be held May 13th. Students created teams and competed against each other during the event, which was held after school in the gymnasium at the end of February.

The main attraction of the event was the faculty teams competing against each other with students cheering them on. Student teams paid a fee to play and spectators were charged an admission fee to watch the event. The faculty teams, which included teachers, administrators and coaches made donations to the cause. All the proceeds were donated to the American Cancer Society, who uses the money to fund research into the cure for cancer and provide day-to-day services for people currently fighting cancer.

The Cancer Club Advisor, Cory Haldas helped the students organize the dodgeball tournament and said he was proud of the results. “The students worked hard to make this event a success and they saw their efforts pay off with participants having fun and funds being donated to an important cause.”

Due to the success of the fundraiser, the Cancer Club plans to hold the dodgeball tournament again next year.

Story and photo courtesy of Locust Valley School District.