Cold Spring Harbor Central School District celebrates Remembrance Bowl Game Day Tribute and Homecoming Celebration

Following a weeklong series of educational programming to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, the Cold Spring Harbor Central School District hosted the second annual Remembrance Bowl on Sept. 27. The event, which also served as the district’s homecoming football game, welcomed French dignitaries to their celebration of patriotism and recognition of this important historical event. 

The week included a series of lessons on World War II, patriotism, service to your, school, community and country and the historical events surrounding the Allied Invasion of Normandy. In addition to curricula taught across grades K-12, high school, middle school and elementary students attended assemblies where they heard directly from visiting French dignitaries including Helen Patton, granddaughter of WWII General George Patton, Michelle Strauss, founder and chair of the Patton Legacy Sports, Maurice Renaud, son of Alexander Renaud, the wartime Mayor of Sainte-MèreÉglise, Cathy Soref, honorary president of Operation Democracy, Jeff Stoffer, editor and director of the American Legion Magazine, Doug Stebleton, producer and director of the “Mother of Normandy” film, U.S. Army combat veteran Jeff Wells and James Baca, executive director of American Legion and more.

The evening before the event, both the Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks and the Island Trees Bulldogs listened and learned from Helen Patton and Michelle Strauss during a jersey signing event. Ms. Strauss discussed with the students the reason moments of silence are held at events. Patton shared a prayer card with both teams, quoting the blessing her grandfather told to the U.S. Army soldiers in 1944. Each team member also received this prayer card to remind them of the “Champagne Bowl,” a football game between the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions during WWII which never took place due to the Battle of the Bulge breaking out on the scheduled date of the game. As a result, the game became known as “The Game that Never Happened” and is now honored through events such as the Remembrance Bowl. Both teams wore their signed jerseys during the game and two jerseys, signed by Helen Patton and Michelle Strauss, will be taken back to Normandy and placed in the museum alongside other Remembrance Bowl historic memorabilia. 

The game began with a ceremonial coin toss by 101-year-old World War II veteran for the British Army Cyril Tozer. Veterans, active military, fire, police and EMS service members were also honored at the start of the game.  Students sung the American and French National anthems, with the French national anthem sung in French. The CSH and Huntington Fire departments were on site with a huge flag arch, and the cheerleaders with help from elementary students un furled a tremendous flag on the turf field. During halftime, the CSH Class of 1984 was recognized as they celebrated their 40th reunion, along with a shout-out to CSH alumnus Casey Reynolds, Class of 2020 football and lacrosse player at West Point. 

The game concluded with the Seahawks winning 27-0 and Superintendent Joseph Monastero presenting gifts to three board of education members for their unwavering commitment to making the event possible: Board President Alex Whelahan, trustee Kate DelliCarpini and trustee Lisa Smith. 

 

Photo captions:

Photo 1: Members of the Cold Spring Harbor High School football team paid their respects during the national anthem as the second annual Remembrance Bowl kicked off. 

Photo 2: Cold Spring Harbor Central School District Superintendent Joseph Monastero at the Remembrance Bowl. 

Photo 3:  Helen Patton, granddaughter of WWII General George Patton, and Michelle Strauss, founder and chair of the Patton Legacy Sports, participated in the jersey signing event ahead of the Remembrance Bowl. 

Photo 4: Cold Spring Harbor High School students participated in the jersey signing the night before the Remembrance Bowl.

 

Photos courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Central School District