Schools

Sunrise Elementary Students Raise Nearly 1K for Veterans

School collects $917 for Brick 26.

Twenty six cents can go a long way, as the charitable students at in Sayville recently found out.

The student council at the school asked fellow students to each bring in 26 cents to donate to Brick 26, a nonprofit organization that raises funds to aid Long Island veterans, particularly ones returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The school ended up collecting $917 after students helped up run bake sales, recycled bottles and cans, dug through their couches and piggy banks, and even did a few more chores at home.

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The students then got the chance to present their donation to Marine Sgt. Jeffery Matassa at an assembly.

As part of its fundraising efforts, Brick 26 is planning a 10K race on Aug. 4 in Eisenhower Park. Each participant will carry at least one brick as a symbolic weight for all that our soldiers have carried for us through their service. At the conclusion of the race, the bricks will be collected with a plan to build a monument to veterans at a Long Island college.

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While service-learning continues to be one of our most important goals at Sunrise Drive, the students can also be very proud of their achievement. Sunrise Drive collected the most per student of all participating schools.

As a result, the school’s name will appear both on one of the bricks being carried as well as on the back of the event t-shirt.

Information and photos courtesy of Linda Mittiga.


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