A sea of pink filled East Meadow High School’s gymnasium as students and faculty members gathered for a special cause on Oct. 22. More than a dozen volunteers donated their hair to the nonprofit organization, Children With Hair Loss. Organized by East Meadow High School senior, Natalie Hernandez, each volunteer cut at least eight inches of their hair to support the organization. 

The event served as Hernandez’s Girl Scout Gold Award project with Girl Scout Troop 1256. Hernandez said she had previously donated her hair through events at Woodland Middle School, which inspired her to host a similar event at the high school. Through this project, Hernandez said she hopes to educate others on hair loss. 

“Whether it’s brought on by cancer or other medical conditions, hair loss comes with extreme emotional challenges to those affected,” Hernandez said. “The wigs that will be made from our hair will be life changing to the people receiving them and will allow them to regain their confidence after suffering from a difficult time, both physically and emotionally.”

Hernandez’s project adviser, Ms. Fitzpatrick, said she has numerous family members who were affected by cancer. Ms. Fitzpatrick first met Hernandez through her living environment class when she was a sophomore.

“I’m so happy to be a part of this amazing event to help people that might need donations of hair,” Fitzpatrick said. 

In addition to Ms. Fitzpatrick, Hernandez thanked district leaders and school administrators from the high school and Woodland Middle School for inspiring her to pursue this project.

 

Photo captions:

 

1: More than a dozen students and faculty members at East Meadow High School donated their hair to Children With Hair Loss on Oct. 22.

2: East Meadow High School senior Natalie Hernandez, who organized the event for her Girl Scout Gold Award project, was the final volunteer to donate hair during the event.

3: East Meadow High School student Shanelle Cruz was one of several students who volunteered to donate their hair.

4: The ponytails will be donated to the nonprofit organization, Children With Hair Loss.

 

Photos courtesy of the East Meadow Union Free School District 

 

Photo caption: The members of the Hampton Bays Elementary School service organization K-Kids recently donated more than $500 to The American Cancer Society as part of their annual Denim Day fundraiser. They raised the funds by selling breast cancer awareness bracelets and pins to fellow students, teachers and administrators. Students and staff also wore jeans and the color pink on Oct. 22 in honor of the cause.

 

Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays Union Free School District

 

Wading River School third grader Celia Gaeta’s altruism is born from her innate kindness.

Celia created her own fundraiser to spread kindness throughout the larger community. Using her design skills and a heart filled with caring for others, she has been hand sewing hair ties and scrunchies to sell. Her initiative “Celia Sews for Socks” has already garnered more than $200 at the Miller Avenue Fall Festival, and she will again have a table set up on Nov. 14 at R.E.N. Design Company in Wading River. Her proceeds will be used to purchase socks which will then be donated to a local shelter for those in need.

Photo caption: Wading River School third grader Celia Gaeta.

 

Photo courtesy of the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

 

Levy Lakeside School in the Merrick Union Free School District hosted its Fun Run on Oct. 22, culminating an eight-day, PTA-sponsored Boosterthon.

Each day, students watched character videos and were given fitness activities, nightly challenges and character lessons.  

“Lessons included teamwork, care, courage, grit and celebration while students saw how working together made a difference for the school,” explained PTA Co-President Melissa Warshaw. 

“Students registered their pledge page and received donations from family, friends and business partners,” added PTA Co-President Penny Tomasello. 

At the Fun Run, each class ran 35 or more laps on a track and laps were tallied on the back of the Lakeside Boosterthon T-Shirts.  

The school raised more than $35,000 which will be used in combination with money raised from other events to provide additional recess equipment on school grounds.  

 

Photo captions:

1. Roxie and Charlize got in the Fun Run spirit.
2. Spencer, Jacob and Dominick lined up for their turn to complete the Fun Run.
3. Lakeside students got set to start their 35 laps.
4. All smiles as students made their way around the coned track.

 

Photos courtesy of the Merrick Union Free School District

 

Dedicated cheerleaders from Harborfields High School’s varsity team and Oldfield Middle School’s team held a youth Cheerleader for a Day event on Oct. 6. Ella Beal, Bella Chillemi, Jean Constantatos and Gigi Sbarro volunteered to teach different cheers to younger students in grades K-6 for them to perform at the high school junior varsity football team’s final game of the season.

“Our JV football team does not have cheerleaders this season, unfortunately, due to a decline in the number of athletes participating in cheerleading at the high school, and we also don’t have a youth cheer program,” said cheerleading coach Marissa Hillebrand. “So, we offered ‘Cheerleader for a Day’ to these younger athletes so they could come in and work with the volunteers, and then have an opportunity to cheer for a team in our home district.”

 

Cheerleader for a Day: Dedicated cheerleaders from Harborfields High School’s varsity team and Oldfield Middle School’s team held a youth Cheerleader for a Day event on Oct. 6, volunteering to teach different cheers to younger students in grades K-6 for them to perform at the high school junior varsity football team’s final game of the season.

 

Photos courtesy of Harborfields Central School District