On Sept. 24, Lindenhurst Union Free School District athletic teams, coaches, administrators and community members, along with local and state politicians, joined members of the Renna family at the 11th annual Christina Renna Foundation Walk-a-Thon and Blood Drive held at Lindenhurst Middle School.

The walk supports the Christina Renna Foundation goal of  “supporting children’s cancer research and increasing the levels of awareness and education through the support of cancer groups and outreach programs for the direct support of those in need,” as stated on the website, www.crf4acure.org. All money raised will benefit children’s cancer research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel E. Giordano said to the crowd, “It is really all of you who do so much to make a difference in our community, and we are all so grateful.”

On Sept. 26 the Lindenhurst High School girls varsity field hockey team came together in support of the Christina Renna Foundation as well. Christina, a former student of the Lindenhurst School District, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, and passed away in 2007. Donning yellow uniform accessories, the color of childhood cancer awareness and the Christina Renna Foundation, the girls played hard in support of the cause against the team from Centereach High School.

Photo Captions:

1: On Sept. 24, several Lindenhurst athletic teams and coaches, administrators, community members along with local and state politicians joined the members of the Renna family and walked the track of the Lindenhurst Middle School during the 11th annual Christina Renna Foundation Walk-a-Thon and Blood Drive.

 

2: On Sept. 26, the Lindenhurst High School the girls varsity field Hockey team came together in support of the Christina Renna Foundation.

 

Photos courtesy of the Lindenhurst Union Free School District

The student government at W.T. Clarke Middle School in the East Meadow School District held a hurricane relief drive from Sept. 11-20 to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

W.T. Clarke Middle School faculty and students were encouraged to deposit nonperishable food items, bedding, clothing, pet supplies and toiletries in donation boxes throughout the building. Over the course of the drive, student government members made morning announcements, posted flyers, decorated donation boxes and spoke to classes about the importance of helping others in times of need.

All donations were delivered to Eisenhower Park, which was deemed a collection site during Nassau County Executive, Edward P. Mangano and police officials’ “Help for Houston” fundraiser.

Photo Caption: Members of the W.T. Clarke Middle School student government held a hurricane relief drive to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. From left, W.T. Clarke Middle School seventh-grader Sal Dilluvio, student government adviser Marianne Newfield, seventh-graders Gabriella Partellow, Lucianna Valeri and Nelia Thompson, eighth-graders Isabel Martinez, Ella Noonan and Katelyn Diaz, and student government adviser Margret Caughey.  

Photo courtesy of the East Meadow Union Free School District

Throughout the Locust Valley Central School District, students and staff have come together to help the victims of recent hurricanes. At the middle school and high school, the student government officers organized a drive for the month of September. Cash donations collected will be given to Island Harvest for distribution to victims.

Teachers at both schools have the option of making a donation for the right to wear jeans on Fridays throughout the month.

Each of the elementary schools held a drive for supplies during the week of Sept. 11. Through the generosity of many families and staff members, batteries, canned goods, cleaning supplies, flashlights and personal hygiene items were among the items collected.

Anyone wishing to donate may send cash or check (made payable to LVCSD) to the high school main office by Sept. 29. For more information, please email Locust Valley High School Assistant Principal Lisa Czerniecki at lczerniecki@lvcsd.k12.ny.us.

 

Photo Caption: (l-r): Ann MacAthur Primary School second-graders Giuliana Scognamiglio, Charlotte Bohner, Logan Moran, Luke Wills and Amelia Lombardini display some of the items collected for hurricane victims.

 

Photo courtesy of the Locust Valley Central School District

 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University softball team participated in a Walk to End Alzheimer’s event at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven over the weekend. Student-athletes and coaches walked in the event and helped to raise funds for the initiative.

This event is just one example of many community outreach events that SCSU student-athletes take part in on an annual basis. SCSU student-athletes volunteered more than 2,500 hours of their time to numerous outreach efforts, both on-campus and in Greater New Haven, during the 2016-17 academic year.

New York, NY –  In what has become a pilgrimage of fall on the third weekend of September each year, a host of Wagner College student-athletes joined thousands of others in participating in the16th annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk on Sunday.

Actually slightly longer than a standard 5K course, the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk in New York is approximately 3.5 miles long. It begins at the Brooklyn portal of the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel (officially known as the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel), continues into the streets of Manhattan, and finishes at West and Murray Street.

This marks the 16th consecutive year that Seahawk student-athletes have been part of the event, with the women’s water polo team participating in each year of its existence. The race serves to celebrate the lives of those who died on September 11, 2001 and to recognize the efforts and sacrifice that firefighter Stephen Siller, in particular, made on that day.

The event began in 2002 and is hosted by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Funds raised through Tunnel to Towers help support our nation’s first responders and service members and this year, many of the funds will be directed to Hurricane Relief, helping those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Irma. This year, the Seahawk women’s and men’s water polo teams combined to raise mare than $6,000.

The Story of Stephen Siller
Firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller was the youngest of seven children born to Mae and George Siller. At the age of eight, Stephen lost his father, and a year and a half later his mother passed away, leaving him an orphan to be raised by his older siblings. For a while Stephen went through a period of struggle, but thanks to the love of his siblings, and the values instilled in him by his parents, he grew up to be an extraordinary individual and dedicated firefighter. More than most, he knew that time was precious and accomplished much in his 34 years.

On September 11, 2001, Stephen, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Upon hearing the news, Stephen called his wife Sally and asked her to tell his brothers he would catch up with them later. He returned to Squad 1 to get his gear.

Stephen drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes. Determined to carry out his duty, he strapped 60 lbs. of gear to his back, and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others.

Stephen had everything to live for; a great wife, five wonderful children, a devoted extended family, and friends. Stephen’s parents were lay Franciscans and he grew up under the guiding philosophy of St. Francis of Assisi, whose encouraging and inspirational phrase “while we have time, let us do good” were words that Stephen lived by. Stephen’s life and heroic death serve as a reminder to us all to live life to the fullest and to spend our time here on earth doing good – this is his legacy.

Author and family friend Jay Price wrote: “Every momentous event, even a tragedy, has its symbolic figures. September 11th was no different; it just had a few more of them. Rudy Giuliani, Father Mychal Judge, the four guys on United Flight 9 … a hundred more … a thousand. None bigger than Stephen Siller, whose stature only grows with time as New Yorkers and people from around the world follow his footsteps.”

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