The Island Tress football program (Varsity & JV) along with the cheerleader and kickline teams participated in the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk at Jones Beach on October 18th. The football program raised over $3,000.00 dollars for the cause from their bake sale at the Great Neck North game, sale of “Pink Out” t-shirts, donations from the walk and “Zumba on the Turf” program. The football program and booster club would like to thank everyone that donated to cause.

For more information please visit: http://www.islandtrees.org/

On ​November 15th, Rocky Point High School Interact Service Club members together with their advisor, Mrs. Messinetti, and Rocky Point Rotarians, Susan Wilson and Greg Hilton, participated in a fall cleanup at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck. Everyone took part in raking leaves, moving kayaks and boats, and general cleanup duties. They worked hard, but they also managed to have fun. They were assisted by members of the Port Jefferson Rotary, Boy Scout Troop 1776, and the Port Jefferson and Longwood Interact Clubs.

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 14 to 18, sponsored by individual Rotary clubs which provide encouragement and guidance, but are self-governing and self-supporting. The Interact chapter at Rocky Point High School is sponsored by the Rocky Point Rotary Club. In addition to successfully executing its own fundraising and community service projects, Interact has often joined the Rocky Point Rotary Club in cleaning up the campgrounds at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck.

The Rocky Point Interact Service Club Also Partnered with Habitat for Humanity
In conjunction with Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk, the Rocky Point High School Interact Service Club participated in two Habitat for Humanity Student Builds on Wednesday, November 11 and Saturday, November 14.

Students and teachers worked alongside Habitat volunteers to rebuild a U.S. Army veteran’s home in Rocky Point which was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Story and Photos courtesy of Rocky Point Schools

Locust Valley, N.Y. – The NYIT women’s basketball program took a break from running drills and practicing plays to donate their time in helping run the Hoops Carnival hosted by the Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club on November 7.

The student-athletes spent the afternoon teaching kids in grades 1-6 the fundamentals of basketball and how to play together as a team, as well as enjoying basketball themed games that were featured at the event.

“It was nice to see our young ladies take time out of the early portion of our season to give back,” said Head Coach Anthony Crocitto. “The attendees were all so happy with NYIT and the energy our players and coaches brought to the carnival. We look forward to building a great relationship with the Boys and Girls Club.”

After opening play in Anaheim, California, the Bears returned back to the east coast and will resume their schedule when they participate in the ECC/NE-10 Challenge on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15.

About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has more than 12,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, nearly 100,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.ed

LVHS student-athletes inspired students, faculty, staff and Board of Education members to raise and donate more than $3,500 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Tuveson Lab for pancreatic cancer research. The contribution was made in memory of Sue Petersen Lubow, an LVCSD Board of Education member who recently lost her battle with pancreatic cancer, and in honor of Dr. Friedman, a district parent who has also been diagnosed with the disease.

The students raised more than $2,300 through their participation in the Long Island Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk last month. Seniors Molly Friedman and Abigail Linnemeyer recruited their teammates and friends to walk at the Jones Beach fundraiser under the team name “Acing Cancer.” Assisted by Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Coach Carolyn Sumcizk, representatives from many high school athletic teams joined in the fundraising efforts. The cause was near and dear to all of the participants, as Molly and teammate Sarah Lubow, and their families, have been directly affected by the disease.

“I am so proud of our student-athletes for rallying around their friends in need and supporting such an important cause,” said Ms. Sumcizk. “It doesn’t surprise me that they spent their personal time helping others, as they so often do.” 
Staff members from all six LVCSD schools and central office joined with members of the Board of Education to donate an additional $1,350. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anna F. Hunderfund presented a check to Lindsey Baker of the Tuveson Lab at the LVCSD Board of Education meeting on Nov. 5. Ms. Baker accepted the donation and explained the ways in which she and her fellow researchers at the Cold Spring Harbor Lab are working to identify potential therapies to treat pancreatic cancer.

Photo Captions: Lindsey Baker of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Tuveson Lab, Molly Friedman, Abigail Linnemeyer, Carolyn Sumcizk and Dr. Anna F. Hunderfund.

Photo courtesy of the Locust Valley Central School District

Division II schools, led by the Division II Student Athlete Advisory Committee, raised more than $605,000 for Make-A-Wish during the 2014-15 academic year – the first time the division has surpassed $600,000. The amount raised sets a new Division II fundraising record, exceeding last year’s efforts by $37,000.

Twelve years ago, Division II began its alliance with Make-A-Wish, and since then it has raised nearly $4.1 million. That money has been used to grant wishes to more than 530 kids across the country with life-threatening medical conditions. According to a 2011 Wish Impact Study, the wishes can impact children’s fights against their illnesses, helping them feel better and, in some cases, get better.

“Being a Division II student-athlete is about balance,” said Roberto “Bubba” Baroniel, a student-athlete at Nova Southeastern University and chair of Division II SAAC. “We feel as if it is part of the student-athlete experience to understand the concept of giving back and supporting our community. Working with an organization like Make-A-Wish really helps drive home the point that we are in a position to motivate others to come together as a community and change lives.”

More than 76 percent of Division II schools, including those in the process of gaining full membership, participated in raising money for Make-A-Wish. More than 240 schools from all 24 Division II conferences participated, including 100 percent participation from six conferences: the Conference Carolinas, East Coast Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference, Heartland Conference, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and South Atlantic Conference.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference led the way in fundraising during the 2014-15 academic year ($53,494), followed by the Peach Belt Conference ($40,313) and the Northeast-10 Conference ($32,912).

“I know how hard the schools in our conference work to raise funds for Make-A-Wish, and we are always striving to be the best we can be with our fundraising efforts,” said Christopher Pike, who plays football at Gannon University and vice chair of Division II SAAC. “We take great pride in these fundraising efforts and to see the PSAC at the top is extremely rewarding for all of our schools and student-athletes.”

The East Coast Conference office raised $7,495, marking the first time a conference office has surpassed $7,000.

The alliance with Make-A-Wish also provides student-athletes with the opportunity to host a wish reveal, which is a celebration when a child learns that his or her one true wish will be granted. Each year, schools and conferences that raise the average cost of a wish will host a wish reveal. Because of the tremendous fundraising numbers across the division, in 2014-15 37 schools and one conference earned the opportunity to host a future wish reveal at a conference or campus event.

“The best part about a wish reveal is seeing the smile on a wish kid’s face and knowing that through athletics we were able to positively impact his or her life,” Pike said. “The pure happiness and joy that is represented in that moment is like nothing else.”

Top fundraising schools:
1. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania – $13,665.11
2. Molloy College – $13,154.25
3. Dixie State University – $12,670
4. Lubbock Christian University – $11,615.87
5. University of North Georgia – $11,102
6. Saint Leo University – $10,084
7. University of California, San Diego – $9,593.54
8. Missouri University of Science and Technology – $9,006
9. Delta State University – $8,473.50
10. Georgia College and State University – $8,122.22
11. Dominican University of California – $8,080.10
12. Arkansas Tech University – $8,019.17
13. Pittsburg State University – $7,556.56
14. Barry University – $7,055
15. Grand Valley State University – $7,000
16. Flagler College – $6,815
17. Union University – $6,388
18. Texas A&M University-Commerce – $6,318.57
19. Northwestern Oklahoma State University – $6,120
20. Lindenwood University – $6,002

Conference Rankings:
1. Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – $53,493.51
2. Peach Belt Conference – $40,312.95
3. Pacific West Conference – $32,911.57
4. Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – $30,117.10
5. East Coast Conference – $28,131.59
6. Gulf South Conference – $27,015.21
7. Great Lakes Valley Conference – $26,480.60
8. California Collegiate Athletic Association – $24,699.22
9. Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – $24,498.91
10. South Atlantic Conference – $24,089.79
11. Sunshine State Conference – $23,563.48
12. Heartland Conference – $19,598.91
13. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – $19,153.94
14. Great American Conference – $18,801.43
15. Northeast-10 Conference – $18,073.37
16. Lone Star Conference – $17,243.21
17. Conference Carolinas – $13,216.01
18. Great Northwest Athletic Conference – $9,286.07
19. Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference – $8,491.15
20. Mountain East Conference – $8,475.38
21. Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – $8,340.69
22. Great Midwest Athletic Conference – $7,294.20
23. Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – $3,774.32
24. Independents – $183.74

About Make-A-Wish:
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 27,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 37 minutes. It has granted more than 254,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,200 in 2014 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.