When the UConn Women’s Ice Hockey team took the ice for their home matchup against the Boston Terriers, their bright pink neon jerseys drew the eye.

The Huskies rocked the pink jerseys for Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer, an initiative that raised money for the UConn Health Center.

“Super proud of my team, it’s been a tradition since I’ve been here and I just love how our team rallies,” head coach Chris Mckenzie said.

Over $6,000 were raised for the cause. The UConn women’s ice hockey team is just one of the Connecticut teams that does events like this.

The UConn men’s soccer team plays with pink laces, the UConn women’s soccer team plays with pink jerseys, just like the women’s basketball team. The men’s basketball team spends Christmastime with the community in Hartford.

It’s all about giving to the community for the flagship university.

“I think it’s part of who we are, part of our culture, we are giving back to the community and there isn’t anyone out there who is not affected in some way by cancer,” Mckenzie said.

Skating Strides Against Breast Cancer was funded in 2006 and has contributed nearly$400,000 in 11 seasons, according to the Hockey East Website.

UConn raises the money through youth clinics, which took place last Monday at Freitas. Participants pay a registration fees. Players are part of the clinic but they also have another way to help raise money.

“Storming the Doors” is a program in which players sell T-shirts and the proceeds go to the UConn Health Center.

Former NBA professional basketball player Chris Herren visited Manhasset High School on Jan. 11 to share his remarkable journey from success to addiction to recovery with students in grades 9-12. Herren’s raw and inspiring presentation is part of the district’s collaborative efforts with the Manhasset Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse to offer ongoing prevention and education programs on substance abuse.

Prior to the assembly, Herren met with members of the Student Athlete Leadership Team, commending them for pledging to abstain from drugs and alcohol and for educating sixth-graders of Munsey Park and Shelter Rock elementary schools about the dangers of substance abuse. SALT consists of 10th– through 12th-grade students.

Herren, who has been alcohol- and drug-free since August of 2008, shared his own life experiences to enlighten students about the detrimental impact that drugs and alcohol had on his career, family and health. He encouraged students struggling with substance abuse to seek help in friends, teachers and family members and stressed the importance of never letting friends stray off course. Following his presentation, the captivated audience had an opportunity to ask Herren questions about his journey to sobriety.

Concluding the assembly, members of Manhasset’s Key Club presented Herren with a check for $2,000 to support his foundation, the Herren Project. In December, the Key Club held a “Pinned for Purpose” fundraiser in which they sold pins of the district’s “M” logo to students, staff and faculty.  

According to its website, the Herren Project is a nonprofit foundation established to assist individuals and families struggling with addiction. The THP Project Purple initiative was launched in 2011 to break the stigma of addiction, bring awareness to the dangers of substance abuse and encourage positive decision making to navigate life’s challenges.

In conjunction with Manhasset CASA and the Manhasset School District, Herren also delivered a second, free presentation that evening to a sold-out crowd of parents, faculty and community members in the high school auditorium.

Photo Captions:

1) Former NBA professional basketball player Chris Herren visited Manhasset High School on Jan. 11.
2) Members of the Manhasset High School Key Club presented Chris Herren with a check for $2,000 from their “Pinned for Purpose” fundraiser to support his foundation, the Herren Project.
3) Prior to his inspiring anti-drug presentation, former NBA professional basketball player Chris Herren met with members of the Student Athlete Leadership Team, commending their commitment to sobriety.

Photos courtesy of the Manhasset School District

Hampton Bays Elementary School students bopped, twirled and grooved on Jan. 17 during an hourlong dance-a-thon sponsored by the school’s community service club, K-Kids. The event raised $1,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through pledges the students procured prior to the event.  

Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays School District

The Abbey Lane Elementary School community gathered on Dec. 21 to celebrate the holiday season by touring the decorated school and raising approximately $500 to Smile Train, a nonprofit organization that provides free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children in developing countries around the world. The amount is enough to provide two children with the surgery needed to fix the cleft.

More than 370 people attended the evening event. Faculty members brought their own children to celebrate the night and help volunteer while MacArthur High School cheerleaders volunteered their time to serve hot cocoa and munchkins. Fifth-grade orchestra students performed holiday music under the guidance of music teacher Melissa Gscheidle and attendees participated in ornament decorating and received a special building tour facilitated by fourth- and fifth-graders.

The hallways were decorated in holiday fashion and prior to the event, students and staff members decorated their classroom doors in their most creative and unique ways. The fourth- and fifth-graders led the tours and explained each decorative door to their guests.

“It feels good to be a part of this event because it supports a wonderful cause,” said fifth grade tour guide Emma Delmar. “I hope that the families get to enjoy all the doors that all of the students and teachers decorated.”

Photo Captions:

1. Abbey Lane fifth-graders Ilaria Davniero (right) and Emma Delmar (left) prepared to give family members a tour of the decorated doors.
2. Fifth-graders Alexka Duarte (left) and Salvatore Trumpy (right) showed off the decorated doors throughout Abbey Lane Elementary School.
3. (L-R) Fourth-graders Sydney Rochefort, Keira Quigley and John Quinn enjoyed hot cocoa during Abbey Lane’s holiday event.
4. Abbey Lane Elementary School orchestra students performed holiday songs.

Photos courtesy of the Levittown Public Schools