Floral Park Memorial High School’s Student Council hosted a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament to raise money for Wounded Warriors on April 30.  Under the guidance of adviser Carolyn Faggioni, the group raised more than $600 for the organization.

Photo captions:
Pictured (l-r): Senior high winners Joshua Corbett, Jalon Robertson and Fabrice Plaisimond.

Photos courtesy of Sewanhaka Central High School District

Mineola Union Free School District’s Meadow Drive School raised a record amount of money during the school’s annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser. Benefitting the American Heart Association, the event stresses the importance of physical activity while raising funds for a good cause. Despite a goal of $4,500, this year the school community raised a total of approximately $7,000. With a $420 donation, second-grader Michael Sanchez raised the most during his participation.

Photo Caption: Michael is pictured with physical education teachers Hilary Pavels and Christine Gayson and Meadow Drive Principal SueCaryl Felischmann.

Photo courtesy of the Mineola Union Free School District

Smithtown High School East/West marine science teacher Kimberly Williams and the Smithtown CSD Athletics Department recently helped children in Masese, Uganda. Williams is involved with a program called Help International. Thanks to her outreach to Patrick Smith, the district’s coordinator for physical education, athletics, health and nurses – with help from members of the athletics dept.– gently used Smithtown soccer uniforms were sent to Masese and are now being worn by a girls soccer team there. Williams was made aware of the program through Carolyn Ferguson, a physical education teacher in the Rockville Centre School District.

Ferguson’s former assistant superintendent recently traveled to Uganda to assist with the construction of a school and personally delivered the Smithtown uniforms and other valuable educational supplies. Her school, Southside Middle School, has donated uniforms in the past. “Most children there only have a few articles of clothing; team uniforms are such a luxury to them, something most of us take for granted,” said Ferguson in a note to Williams. “This act of kindness made a huge difference in the lives of children who you will never meet. These children are very proud to be called Team Smithtown.”

Photo Caption: Team Smithtown, Uganda is pictured with their coach, sporting their soccer uniforms donated by the Smithtown CSD Athletics Dept. through teacher Kimberly Williams.

Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Central School District

During ALS Awareness Month, Rocky Point Middle School sought to continue to support efforts to raise funds for ALS research by donating more than $600 to the ALS Ride for Life event this May. The funds, which had been raised as a result of a National Junior Honor Society fundraiser, were presented during the ride’s annual one hundred plus mile patient wheelchair ride across Long Island. Ride participants stopped at the school as they worked their way across Long Island. Present at the event were Ride for Life President Chris Pendergast, Dr. Frank Verdone and other ALS patients.

Photo provided by Rocky Point School District

In its fifth year, Long Island Lutheran High School organized and hosted its Annual Meal Packing Event on their Brookville, NY campus.

The packing event took place Sunday, April 19 through Tuesday, April 21in the Visscher Gymnasium.

Their goal was to pack 300,000 food packets in order to feed 500 children every day for one year. The food packets consist of rice, soy, pinto beans, dried vegetables, and vitamin and seasoning mix. These meals are nutritionally balanced to prevent malnutrition.

About 300 LuHi student athletes, along with over 1,000 other volunteers including both the LIU Post Football and Women’s Soccer team, helped pack the meals that were sent both locally and globally to countries in need.

They are working through the non-profit Mano Amiga and their program, Meals from the Heart. Two thirds of the food packets will go to local food pantries with one third distributed to global countries in need.

The event concluded as a huge success with the numbers exceeding their goal.

320,328 meals were packed thanks to all those who volunteered and helped organize this wonderful event that truly helps so many in need!

Below you can watch a video of the student athletes in action at the event: