Sachem would not be Sachem without a kindred spirit and natural disposition to rally during hard times and come together as one for the greater good. It’s an assumed course of action for the people within this community.
On Sunday at Sachem High School North this good will was in full force as the drama club organized and executed on a massive donation drive for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Thousands of items were collected for an event with less than 48 hours of notice done largely through the district’s social media feeds on Twitter and Facebook.
Picture the auditorium at Sachem North and on Sunday you would have seen all 900-plus seats filled with hefty bags of clothes, toys, food, jackets, baby supplies, toiletries and other items.
“You name it it was there,” said Sachem North teacher and drama club advisor Jonathan Chiaramonte, who coordinated the effort.
About 40 truck loads of items were shipped to the Ronkonkoma, Centereach, and Holtsville Fire Departments. Chiaramonte said the fire departments noticed how large of a donation Sachem had that they left their own donation centers and sent fire trucks to North to collect the items and distribute to Rockaway, Long Beach, Lindenhurst and Babylon.
Additionally, food, diapers and toiletries were shipped directly to Sachem East as they had a shortage for the 45 families there as well as the trailer with animals.
“This wasn’t about one person today,” Chiaramonte said. “It was about neighbors helping neighbors. We had over 40 volunteers from teachers to board members to admin to alumni to students and parents. We cannot thank the community enough for what they did.
“We may never know the faces of those the Sachem community has touched but we can rest easy tonight knowing we played a small part in helping our fellow Long Islanders get back on the road to recovery. I think our students realized that they should be appreciative of what we do have. Spread a little bit of kindness to others. It’s a bigger thrill than being able to log onto Facebook.”
Sachem Superintendent James Nolan was not surprised when he heard the news about the success of the donation drive.
“I am simply lost for words when it comes to the many ways our students demonstrate leadership and kindness,” he said. “For as long as I can remember, Sachem students have always been ready, able and willing to help others in need. I am so very proud of our students and the entire Sachem Family.”
For all official updates and information regarding the Sachem Central School District, please follow @SachemSchools on Twitter and like Sachem Schools on Facebook.
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