Long Beach High School’s Peer Leadership Club organized a successful Color Run on May 16 at Long Beach Middle School’s Veteran’s Field.

Fitting for the bright spring day, a variety of bold hues illuminated the participants after they completed the race. As a special highlight, the event included a surprise visit from Long Beach High School alumnus Billy Crystal, who stopped by to show his support.

The Color Run raised approximately $1,500, which benefitted the Long Beach Animal Shelter as well as residents in need. High school students participated as runners and welcomed a splash of colored cornstarch as they crossed the finish line.

Other students worked as volunteers, selling T-shirts and food and cheering on the participants. Sophomores Philip Persky and Blaine Siegal spearheaded the effort.

Blaine Siegal with Billy Crystal, who showed support with a guest appearance while he was in the area.

Photo Courtesy of Long Beach Public Schools

Colorful signs inscribed with messages of kindness lined the sidewalks at Academy Street Elementary School as the third through fifth-grade students participated in the annual Friends of Carly Fun Run this May.
The annual event, which is held in memory of former Academy student Carly LeStrange, invited students to run a 1-mile course through the surrounding community as their peers in kindergarten through second-grade cheered on. Additionally, leading up to the event each year, the school fundraises for a cause connected to Carly’s memory. This year all donations will be applied to start a “Carly LeStrange Scholarship Fund” for a graduating Bayport-Blue Point High School senior who best exemplifies Carly’s commitment to promoting the importance of kindness. The school expects the first scholarship will be given to a member of the Class of 2017.

Photo Caption: Students and staff members gear up for the Academy Street Elementary School annual Friends of Carly Fun Run.

Photo provided by the Bayport-Blue Point School District

On May 19, more than 30 schools traveled to Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School to participate in the fifth annual Christopher Urban and Brittney Walsh Memorial Invitational, in honor and memory of Christopher Urban and Brittney Walsh.

Organized by Copiague track coaches George Schroeder and John Sack, the annual event is held to honor both Christopher and Brittney’s memory and their commitment to The invitational featured 18 events including pole vaulting, the 2,000/3,000 steeplechase, long jump and shot put. In addition to the standard track-and-field events, fifth-grade students from the four elementary schools – Deauville Gardens East, Deauville Gardens West, Great Neck Road and Susan E. Wiley – participated in a boys and girls 4×100 “Fun Run” relay, with each participant receiving a medal.

Photo Captions:

Fun Run: Fifth-grade students in the Copiague School District participated in the 4×100 “Fun Run” relay during the Urban Memorial Invitational. Urban Run: Members of the Walter G. O’Connell track team at the Urban and Walsh Memorial Invitational.

Photo courtesy of the Copiague Public School District

Student members of Valley Stream North High School’s Physical Education Leadership Program took second place in a viral video contest hosted by a local nonprofit organization. Team Up 4 Community, an organization sponsored by nutritional supplement manufacturer NBTY’s charity arm “Helping Hands,” held its L.I. Spring Sports Heroes Video Challenge, a contest that encourages students involved in athletics to document their volunteer work and share it to inspire their peers.

The PE Leadership Program at North High School spent an entire day stocking the pantries and helping out at the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN) in Hempstead. The students put together a 44 second clip of their work, explaining the INN’s purpose and how they were able to help give back to their community. The
video was uploaded to Team Up 4 Community’s website and put up for a voter drive where it competed against dozens of other schools for one of three prizes.

On May 27, the students were presented a check for $1,500 for earning the second-most votes and the video is now hosted on Team Up 4 Community’s channel on YouTube. The PE Leadership Program’s director Sharon Zovich was at the presentation to accept the check, along with North High School Principal Cliff Odell. “The significant piece to this effort is that student leaders were able to share their experiences volunteering out in the community. 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 PE Leadership Program plans to donate a portion of their winnings to the third-place winner of the contest: Carle Place High School’s Key Club, who hosted a fashion show to raise funds for a local 2-year-old girl suffering from a condition that causes low platelet counts.

Team Up 4 Community was founded by former New York Islander Steve Webb and his wife, Teresa Webb, to promote Long Island athletics through various charity and outreach efforts. Throughout the year the nonprofit organization sponsors contests and awards prizes to groups of students making a difference on
Long Island.

Photo Caption: Valley Stream North High School members of the Physical Education Leadership Program, along with their advisor, Sharon Zovich and their principal, Cliff Odell, were presented a check for $1,500 by Team Up 4 Community’s Steve and Teresa Webb (left), and members of NBTY’s charity arm “Helping Hands” Marialice Dunphy and Gerard Battaglia (right).

Photo courtesy of the Valley Stream Central High School District