Number of Participants: 300
Hours Donated: 4
Value of Time Served: $10,140
Event Type: Civic & Community
Sport: Basketball
Date: April 7, 2018
Location:
Sachem School District
NY, USA
About:
Sachem’s annual “March Madness” tradition has been a staple for the student body for more than 20 years.
Students spend the days enjoying a spring “spirit week” where each day promotes a different fun theme – America, decades, school pride – and the week culminates with a basketball tournament featuring both staff and students.
This year saw the creation of a “Sachem Showdown” event where both Sachem East and Sachem North came together for activities one evening. From tug-of-war to balloon pops and other engaging activities, the students made the best of the cross-district event and look to expand on it in the future.
At Sachem East, the March Madness fundraiser was combined with an effort to raise funds for the ALS Ride for Life organization. Student Government officers handed a check in the amount of $1,500 to ALS patients Frank Wojcik, Paul Weisman and Dr. Christopher Pendergast.
“People left that day speaking of actually getting chills listening to Dr. Pendergast speak to the students through his eye-gaze computer while the entire gymnasium was so quiet,” said Michael Jannace, a teacher and club advisor at Sachem East. “What a beautiful scene! The care and respect demonstrated at Sachem East helped to spread awareness of this deadly disease with no cure.”
