BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 20, 2015) – On Wednesday, the LIU Post field hockey team collected donations for Island Harvest, the largest hunger relief organization on Long Island.

Island Harvest relies on volunteers and donations to help end the hunger problem on Long Island.

The team spent multiple hours filling shopping carts with canned goods and other non-perishable foods at a local Stop and Shop. Along with food donations, the Pioneers raised nearly $300 to benefit the organization.

“Being able to give back to organizations in our area is always a rewarding experience,” Head Coach Raenee Savin stated. “Collecting donations for Island Harvest this holiday season opened our eyes to how many kind and generous people live in our community. It was amazing to see people fill bags of groceries to be donated to those who are less fortunate.”

The Pioneers also participated in the 14th-annual Turkey Trot on the LIU Post campus. The Turkey Trot 5K Run benefits families in need during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

For more information about Island Harvest, please visit IslandHarvest.org

BALDWIN, N.Y. (Nov. 20, 2015) – The LIU Post women’s soccer team recently participated in the fourth-annual Marianne Volpe 5K and Pumpkin Fun Run at Baldwin Park.

The 27 student-athletes raised $270 at the event, which benefited the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the North Shore Long Island Jewish Monter Cancer Center.

The race continues to honor Marianne Volpe, who passed away from Acute Lymphocitic Leukemia (ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer, at the age of 56.

“It was a really great experience for our team. We are always willing and able to do any volunteer work,” said LIU Post graduate women’s soccer player Kelsey Ferguson (Holtsville, N.Y.). “It was great to do something different, especially for such a worthy cause, and we would be happy to do it again in the future.”

For more information about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, please visit LLS.org.

New Hyde Park, N.Y. – With handcrafted games in tow, a handful of the NYIT men’s lacrosse team donated their time Tuesday evening, hosting a carnival for the children at North Shore LIJ’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center. The Center, most recently ranked by US News & World Report in the top 50 nationwide in nine of 10 pediatric specialties, opened their doors to NYIT to spend an afternoon with some of the patients.

From mini golf to a football toss, members of the team created, by hand, nearly 15 different activities for the children and their families to enjoy. “Yesterday’s carnival for the sick children at Cohen Children’s Medical Center was one of the more powerful events that we have been a part of,” commented Head Lacrosse Coach Bill Dunn. “The team as a whole, spent timeless hours, preparing, shopping for materials, building games, painting and assembling them for the children. To see the smiles on all their faces as the carnival went on, was every bit worth the time that was put in preparing for the event.”

Last year, members of the tennis program participated in the same type of event at the medical center and several student-athletes from the lacrosse expressed interest in attending again.

“Giving back is important, because these kids may not be able to experience a carnival, due to their hospital restrictions,” agreed seniors Jon Lynott and Shawn Murphy. “We hope that there are more opportunities such as this to give back to the community.”

“Day in and day out they [patients] are stuck in a hospital bed, and one can only imagine that it gets very lonely and hopeless,” said junior Tom Hughes. “To be able to put a smile on these little kids faces really hit home.”

The Bears open up their 2016 season when they host Pace University at President’s Stadium on Saturday, February 13 at noon.

– See more at: http://teamup4community.org/events/mens-lacrosse-provides-smiles-children-cohen-childrens-medical-center#sthash.15yXb6Gh.dpuf

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 19, 2015) – On Wednesday, the LIU Post men’s lacrosse team took the time out to feed the homeless community at The Inn in Hempstead.

The team dropped off 150 non-perishable food items that they collected over the last two months, while also making over 100 lunches for the daily meals at the facility.

The lunches were made possible through the donations of family members, employed by UTZ Quality Foods (Steven and Thomas Liantonio) and Boar’s Head – Galeo Provisions (Anthony Galeotafiore).

“This was a humbling project that the team put together,” said Head Coach John Jez. “It started with the collection of the non-perishable items. The team then wanted to have more of an immediate impact for the daily visitors of The Inn.”

Jez later added: “To see first hand who you are helping was an eye-opening experience. It was rewarding to know the immediate impact that it had on the less-fortunate in the community.”

On Oct. 13, approximately 2,100 students and close to 300 faculty and staff members at Syosset High School, joined by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Rogers and Syosset HS Principal Dr. Giovanni Durante, walked the high school campus to raise awareness and money for a good cause.

Led by the Syosset High School Marching Band, the massive line of participants dedicated the morning homeroom period to raising more than $2,600 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society by securing donations and pledging to walk. September was Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

Great job by all those who participated and contributed donations!