Number of Participants: 12
Hours Donated: 4
Value of Time Served: $406
Event Type: Children & Youth
Sport: Team
Date: December 22, 2020
Location:
Seaford
NY, USA
About:
The generosity of students and staff at Seaford High School and Seaford Middle School will make dozens of children happy this holiday season. The annual student council toy drive was a success with hundreds of items collected for children on Long Island.
The toy drive, coordinated by members of the high school student council with assistance from their counterparts at the middle school, fulfilled wishes for 90 children in six classes at the Head Start Early Childhood Development center in Hempstead. Seaford High School classes, clubs and teachers fulfilled the wishes from the “Dear Santa” letters, and toy collection boxes at the middle school added to supply of gifts.
Once the toys were collected and wrapped, the student council then put together a Santa bag for each child. It included toys from his or her personal wish list as well as candy canes, coloring books, crayons, story books, stocking stuffers and a personalized letter from Santa. The bags were delivered to Head Start on Dec. 22 and additional toys were provided to Head Start in Westbury and Mercy First in Syosset.
“It’s a time to be grateful for what we have and give a little bit back for people who don’t have as much,” said high school student council Vice President Shaye Castillo, who has helped out with the toy drive for four years. “It’s all about giving and it makes me so happy to be able to do this.”
President Emma Masie and Secretary Carey-Jean Block, of the middle school’s student council, said it is especially important to give in a year when many more people are facing financial struggles, due to the pandemic. In addition to the toy drive, the middle school and high school clubs also partnered up for a Thanksgiving food collection.
“It helps people who aren’t as fortunate,” Emma said. “They deserve the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas and be happy.”
Photo captions:
1: The Seaford High School Student Council put together individual Santa bags filled with toys and other goodies for children in the Head Start program in Hempstead.
2: Seaford Middle School sixth graders, from left, Katharyn Malone, Dylan Hausefeld and Zoie Castellanou showed some of the toys that were donated.
Photos courtesy of the Seaford School District