A large and diverse crowd made their way to Irish Times to honor former Sachem teacher, coach, and administrator Tom Toscano, and the Foundation established in his name.
More than $3,000 was raised for both The Rolling Thunder Special Needs Running Program and Sachem Track, and Steve Cuomo, coach of The Rolling Thunder, was awarded the Tom Toscano Service Award.
It was a celebration of Tom’s legacy of good deeds, and a celebration of the positive message provided by the sport of Track and Field that everyone is important and everyone can contribute to the greater good.
In this, the fourth annual Barbecue, Irish Times Restaurant was again a wonderful host of the event, and the musical guests- Patrick Gubbins, Visco and McNeill, Tommy Keys, and Buoy 34- all added to the energy and fun. In addition to Sachem Track Alumni, a number of present and former Sachem administrators and School Board members were in attendance, and Jessie Toscano and many of Tom’s Sachem colleagues were there to show their love and support of Tom.
The Sachem East Girls Track team members sold running shoes and raffle tickets and helped decorate the courtyard to add to the festive atmosphere, and it also didn’t hurt that both the East Girls and East Boys Track Teams just locked up League Titles this spring. And certainly the presence of two of Sachem’s most decorated Female Alumna generated some excitement.
Olympian Maria Michta Coffey is well known to the current team members, but Linda Dettlefsen, an NCAA Division I Champion in the 1500, fourth place finisher in the Olympic Trials, and member of the Sachem Hall of Fame, was also there to show her support.
Next year’s Barbecue will again take place at Irish Times, and is tentatively scheduled for the 3rd Sunday in May.
