Number of Participants: 11
Hours Donated: 10
Value of Time Served: $930
Event Type: Children & Youth
Sport: Schools
Date: December 20, 2019
Location:
Seaford
NY, USA
About:
Students in the Seaford School District made it their mission to spread joy this holiday season by collecting toys for children across Long Island.
The Seaford High School student council held its annual toy drive with participation from the entire community. In addition to placing toy donation bins at the high school and middle school for students and staff to make contributions, the student leaders dropped off letters to homes in Seaford shortly after Thanksgiving seeking toys. Then on Dec. 15, volunteers from the student council and National Honor Society drove around on their assigned routes and picked up the donations.
Student council members spent two days wrapping toys afterschool before visiting Head Start facilities in Hempstead, Wantagh and Westbury. At those three spots, they dressed up as Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves to fulfill wishes for young children.
Hailey Galison, vice president of the student council, said every child received a toy, a stuffed animal, a book and a trinket. Extra toys were provided to a half-dozen other child care facilities on Long Island.
When she was in middle school, Hailey made would donate to the toy drive, but she said it is more meaningful now that she gets to go to the Head Start facilities, meet the children and personally hand out gifts.
Added student council president Katelyn Winter, “You get to see where your donations are going. It shows us how much of an impact we can have, not just in Seaford but in the surrounding communities.”
Seaford Manor Elementary School’s student council also held its annual toy drive in December for the John Theissen Children’s Foundation in Wantagh. Donations of new, unwrapped toys benefitted less fortunate kids on Long Island as well as those spending the holidays in the hospital.
Photo captions:
1: Seaford High School student council members, from left, Vice President Hailey Galison, co-adviser Shari Raduazzo, Secretary and toy drive coordinator Kate McClernon and President Katelyn Winter were very pleased with the amount of toys collected this year.
2: The Seaford Manor Elementary School student council held a toy drive for the John Theissen Children’s Foundation.
Photos courtesy of the Seaford School District