On June 2, the Smithtown community hosted the eighth annual Mike’s Hike and Wellness Fair at Smithtown High School West in honor of Mike Denaro, former Accompsett Elementary School teacher. The day’s events included a 5K run, a 2K walk and a children’s fun run. Local businesses set up sponsorship booths to show their support and create a fun-filled community event. All proceeds benefit the Mike’s Hike Scholarship Fund and the Smithtown Children’s Foundation.

 

Photos courtesy of Smithtown Central School District

 

Ninth-graders in the Massapequa School District supported children battling cancer by collecting arts and crafts supplies.

The drive was spearheaded by three clubs at Massapequa High School’s Ames Campus — Active Minds, Chief’s Challenge and Helping Hands. Supplies that the groups collected included crayons, markers, paint, sketchbooks and more.

Items were donated to William’s Warriors, named in honor of a young Long Island boy who lost his battle with a rare form of brain cancer, medulloblastoma. Recognizing that art can provid much needed therapy for pediatric cancer patients, the William’s Heart-Works initiative provides supplies to those children.

This was the first year Ames has collected for the foundation. Advisers for the coordinating clubs include Kate Balcuk, Kim Hession, Alyssa Levine, Karen Matros and Courtney Mollura.

 

Photo caption: Ames Campus students, from left, Mia Santabarbara, Tara McWilliams and Emmy Aird helped collect art supplies for William’s Warriors.

 

Photo courtesy of Massapequa School District

 

# # #

Photo caption:  Fourth- and fifth-grade students in the Cares Club at Mills Pond Elementary School in the Smithtown Central School District participated in a walk-a-thon on May 17 to support Medical Mission. Medical Mission is a hospital for the poverty-stricken community in El Salvador. The fundraiser garnered more than $1,300. Cares Club advisers Diana Lanze, Kristin Quail and Melissa Taylor, and many Mills Pond teachers joined the effort.

 

Photo courtesy of Smithtown Central School District

Bringing awareness to neurofibromatosis, often abbreviated as NF, students at Islip’s Wing Elementary School learned about the disease during the month of May and collected coins to help fund Children’s Tumor Foundation conduct research to find a cure. At library time, the students read a book about an Islip student with NF and received coloring books with facts about the disease. Each week in May, students shared facts about NF during morning announcements. To culminate NF Awareness Month, Wing’s students ran a “Hero Dash,” complete with capes and a visit from Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi.

“Wing students are everyday heroes,” said teacher Lisa Dieumegard.

 

IMG_4898: Students at Islip’s Wing Elementary School ran a “Hero Dash” to bring awareness to neurofibromatosis.

 

Photo courtesy of the Islip School District

 

 

 

On May 10, Herricks Middle School students welcomed Chris Pendergast and his Ride for Life Team. Since 2013, the team has been making an annual stop at the Middle School while traveling across Long Island to Yankee Stadium to raise awareness about ALS. 

In 2012, a beloved World Language Teacher Tom Coleman was diagnosed with ALS and his colleagues at Herricks Middle School reached out to Mr. Pendergast for guidance. A supportive relationship between the school and the Ride for Life Team was formed. Each year, Mr. Pendergast expresses his gratitude to Herricks for the outpouring of love the team feels, as well as the donations raised to help eradicate this disease. 

As the students held the posters and banners they created that read “Help Strike Out ALS,” Mr. Pendergast conveyed the message back to them that their support is the greatest gift of all. Herricks Middle School’s involvement is truly making a difference!

 

Photos courtesy Herricks Public Schools