Number of Participants: 5
Hours Donated: 4
Value of Time Served: $696
Event Type: Children & Youth
Activity: Football
School: Longwood High School
Date: November 6, 2025
Location:
Longwood High School
County Route 24, Middle Island
NY
About:
The Longwood High School Football Team continues to show that true leadership extends far beyond the field. As part of their ongoing community outreach, members of the varsity football team, together with the Best Buddies program, visited Ridge Elementary School to host an inspiring Abilities Awareness Day.
This initiative, led by Coach Kluber and the Longwood coaching staff, is designed to help elementary students better understand and appreciate the unique abilities and challenges of others. The program includes a series of mini assemblies and interactive stations focusing on topics such as Intellectual Disabilities, Emotional Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Speech and Vision Impairments, ADHD, and Physical Impairments.
During the event, third and fourth grade classes rotated through each station, where Longwood athletes led engaging conversations, educational discussions, and hands-on activities that allowed students to experience what it might feel like to live with various disabilities. Each session lasted about seven minutes, but the lessons were lasting and meaningful — sparking conversations about empathy, inclusion, and respect.
Ridge Elementary marked the second stop of the year for Abilities Awareness Day, following a similar visit to West Middle Island Elementary earlier in the season. The team and Best Buddies program plan to continue the initiative throughout the district, with upcoming visits scheduled for Coram Elementary and Charles E. Walters Elementary, and potential expansion into the Middle School as well.
Coach Kluber shared that the team looks forward to these events each year, emphasizing how they help connect student-athletes with their community while teaching important life lessons about kindness and understanding.
In addition to Abilities Awareness Day, the Longwood Football program remains active year-round, preparing to resume its Little Lions Program in the offseason and to participate once again in the Victory Challenges at the end of the school year.
The program is a shining example of how student-athletes can use their platform to inspire younger students, promote inclusion, and make a meaningful difference in their school community.
