ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (May 27, 2015) – Over the past month, the Molloy College women’s soccer has been involved in a few community service ventures. First, the team sold food, desserts and collected generous donations for the family of a Molloy student, whose Rockville Centre house burned down in a fire. The team was able to raise over $350 for the family to help get them back on their feet.

The Lions’ women’s soccer team also ran in the Long Island Festival of Races as part of “Team WSA” to help support and raise awareness for the Williams Syndrome Association. To visit the Molloy women’s soccer team’s donation page as they raise money for the Williams Syndrome Association, please click this link. To watch a video that aired on Fios 1 News that featured the Lions’ women’s soccer team (including Assistant Coach Sami Saad and sophomore Jessica Malone), click here.

In addition, the women’s soccer team spent a day with Jill Loyden, whose sister died from domestic violence. Jill met with the Lions’ women’s soccer team while she visited Molloy College for a seminar on domestic violence.

“She was so sweet and open about her story,” commented Molloy Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach Sami Saad. “She educated us on the signs and effects throughout her journey. She was so sweet and honest about everything she’s gone through. Jill also talked about when she had to stand up to a very popular icon and good friend, Hope Solo, when she was arrested for domestic violence charges.”

Please visit our website to see more photos: http://www.molloylions.com/news/2015/5/27/WSOC_0527152135.aspx?path=wsoc

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Jun. 11, 2015) – Last weekend, members of the LIU Post women’s lacrosse team participated in the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis in support of a teammate.

When Backus was 16 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare gene mutation of cystic fibrosis. Since then, Backus has overcome many obstacles that she thought were impossible. After going through surgeries and treatments for three years, she is now a contributing member to the women’s lacrosse program.

“Our team is so proud of Kelly and her fight against cystic fibrosis,” said Head Coach Meghan McNamara (East Northport, N.Y.). “She is a strong young woman and we are honored that she is a Pioneer.”

About Great Strides
Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s largest national fundraising event. Each year, more than 125,000 people participate in hundreds of walks across the country to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research and drug development.
The CF Foundation has raised and invested hundreds of millions of dollars to support the development of new CF drugs and therapies. But, the lives of people with this disease are still cut far too short. Their mission is to find a cure and improve the quality of life of those with the disease.

Walks are held at nearly 600 locations nationwide and are open to the public. Great Strides provides a fantastic opportunity for family, friends, students, co-workers and colleagues to come together in support of a worthy cause.

The National Junior Honor Society at Hicksville Middle School received an award from the organization Autism Speaks for its fundraising efforts to raise awareness of the disorder.

Edward Russo, the senior coordinator of field development for the Long Island Chapter of Autism Speaks, presented students of the National Junior Honor Society, advisor Sara Smith and teacher Anthony Tussie with a framed Silver Award plaque for their fundraising efforts throughout the year, raising $3,500 for the cause.

In addition, Tussie coordinated a building-wide Autism Awareness Walk in May, as well as additional fundraisers that included selling bracelets, magnets, and paper plaques. The purposes of these efforts were to raise awareness for autism, as well as how spotlight how organizations such as Autism Speaks support families and research.

Photos Courtesy Hicksville Public Schools

Members of North High School’s Physical Education Leadership Program were awarded a $1,500 prize on May 27 for taking second place in a “viral video” contest hosted by a local nonprofit organization.

The video earned the students a $1,500 prize from the Long Island Spring Sports Heroes Video Challenge, which asks student-athletes to document their volunteer work and share it to inspire fellow students. The contest was hosted by TeamUp4Community, an organization sponsored by nutritional supplement manufacturer NBTY’s charity arm, Helping Hands.

Members of the program spent a day volunteering with the Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead, a nonprofit and volunteer run organization that provides food and long-term housing for those in need, by helping to fill and stock food pantries in the area.

After they finished, the students put together a 44-second clip of their work, explaining the organization’s purpose and how they were able to give back to their community. The video was then uploaded to TeamUp4Community’s website, where visitors could vote for which one they liked best.

Principal Clifford Odell said that the students’ ability to share their experiences is a powerful tool in recruiting new volunteers.

“Our hope, and that of TeamUp4Community, is that there is a ripple effect, so others will get themselves more involved in community service,” Odell said.

The Leadership Program plans to donate a portion of its prize to the third-place recipient, Carle Place High School’s Key Club, who hosted a fashion show for a local 2-year-old girl suffering from a rare blood condition.

Northside Elementary School’s student council sponsored a walk-a-thon to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, raising more than $1,500 for research on this debilitating and often fatal disease.

During the walk-a-thon, all students in grades K-5 walked a number of laps along the perimeter of the school building. Each of the Levittown students collected five-dollar pledges prior to the event.

Photo provided by Levittown School District