Number of Participants: 200
Hours Donated: 5
Value of Time Served: $8,450
Event Amount Raised: $6,000
Event Type: Civic & Community
Sport: Boys Volleyball
School: Connetquot High School
Date: September 29, 2022
Location:
Connetquot High School
7th Street, Bohemia
NY
About:
The Connetquot High School boys volleyball, field hockey, cheerleading and kickline teams raised close to $6,000 during a DezyStrong fundraiser on Sept. 29.
The DezyStrong Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established by Matthew “Dezy” DiStefano, who was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in 2019. During his 11- month battle with cancer, Mr. DiStefano, a Connetquot resident, managed to spread the message about the importance of a “Strong Mind Strong Body.” It was adopted as a mantra among young athletes and the community, as well as the importance of a positive mindset and a healthy lifestyle.
During an evening of sports, the student-athletes hosted dinner, a 50-50 raffle and the sale of Dezy gear with all proceeds going to the foundation.
Annually the boys volleyball hosts a Dezy Strong Fundraiser game. In the past couple years CHS Cheer has joined in and helped as well. This year my team mom Mrs. Lillie went through SectionXI schedules and saw some other teams had games on the same day as our fundraiser. So we thought it would be super cool to invite them to join and have a “Dezy Day” to raise even more money for this amazing organization. We made announcements for CHS faculty and students to wear their Dezy apparel today. Kickline, Field Hockey, Cheer, and my boys volleyball as well as our opponents all purchased tshirts and spread Dezy’s story. This afternoon all parents and players will be selling food, drinks, and Dezy apparel. We will have a 50/50 raffle going to all the fields and courts and a Mum basket filled with lottery tickets being raffled off as well. It is going to be a great day for a great cause. We are extremely grateful for the Connetquot athletic teams that joined in on this, the parents and the community for making it happen.